Sage Of The Gods
by Perseus20
Summary: Something's wrong. Something is very wrong. Alyx is missing, the gods have disappeared, and an old enemy is lurking in the shadows. Join Alyx on this wild adventure across the country, with two new friends, obstacles and problems. Rated T for violence and language. Book two to Guardians of the Nation.
1. Chapter 1

_Hey, everyone! I am back with a new story! Sage of the Gods! Book two of my trilogy. Read on and review._

 _I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter One - Carlos**

"All A's again…" He mumbled as he slipped the report card into his backpack. He blew into his hands, and then shoved them in his pockets, the chilling air cutting through his clothes and making him shiver. He shivered; he hated the cold so much. He liked summer better, where he could lounge in shorts and short sleeves at home. He sighed, walking through the short cut from school through the park where his family always came on picnics. The willow trees that they loved to stay under were bare, snow caked on the branches. The grass was dead, but he noticed little patches trying to come back. He looked up at the cloudy sky, which was sort of depressing to be honest.

 _Bam!_

He froze as a girl shot through the wall, flipping midair and landing on the ground, panting. She was possibly the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen.

Long, black hair tied in a messy braid, hip length, like his sister's. Her clothes were in tatters, ripped jeans, worn out Converse hi-tops, and black hoodie that was torn with marks that looked suspiciously like claw marks. Her skin was sun kissed, dark and luscious like a Latino's. And her eyes… Oh wow, her eyes. They were a bluish gray, with a sea green around the pupil.

Then he noticed the sword. She held a 3 foot long Celestial Bronze blade, gorgeously polished and well maintained. She carried a black backpack with her and it was clear that she was exhausted.

And _then_ the monster came.

A giant, he realized, huge and meaty, blue skinned, his arms tatted from his wrists and all over his chest. He roared and lunged at her, making her jump into midair and land directly in front of him.

"Uh… Are you okay…?" he asked. She turned. Startled, he felt himself freeze up. She had three scars on her face, on her cheek, below her eye and above her eyebrow. She was so gorgeous, he felt his knees tremble. The giant roared and the name clicked in his head: Laistrygonian giant.

Now, he'd never encountered a giant or monster in his entire life. Yes, he's a demigod, son of two demigods. But no time to explain that, he needed to stay alive.

Well, his body had another idea. Despite having ADHD, he felt frozen to the ground staring at the giant running towards them at full speed. She grabbed his wrist, shaking him from his thoughts. She jumped, taking them both. In the air, she wrapped her arm around his waist to keep him from falling, and he immediately wrapped his arms around her neck, squeaking in fear. He hated heights with a passion, but he buried his face into her neck, trembling. She landed, letting go and pushing him behind her. He gripped her pack, having to lean sideways to look at the giant. She was unusually tall for a girl, most likely 5'11 or so. Then he noticed the trident on the handle of the sword.

 _Riptide…?_

"Stay behind me." She ordered.

"W-What…?" Her voice was hoarse and tired, but before he could tell her no, she launched off the ground, flipping and landing on the giant's shoulders, making him swat at this head but she ducked, slamming her sword into his head. He wailed and evaporated into a cloud of black smoke. She landed on the ground on her knees, her sword shrinking and vanishing. He ran to her, going in front and kneeling. She looked up at him and collapsed in his arms, passing out.

* * *

He managed to get her back to his house quickly. Surprisingly, she was light and didn't weigh him down, which would've been bad since he was so short and weak. He walked up the sidewalk to his house, glad it wasn't summer and kids weren't out playing. Sure it had snowed but he doubted the parents would let them roam. He rang the doorbell, looking down at her. She was probably his age, seventeen, but looked almost his sister's age. The door opened and his mom stood there.

His mother was possibly the best woman in the world. Long, black hair tied in buns or ponytails and braids, tan skin and kind blue eyes, she was the exact description of love.

"Carlos?" She asked, stepping aside to let him in. "Who's this?"

"I have no idea." He said. She took the girl while he took his shoes and backpack off, pushing a strand of hair behind the girl's ear.

"Oh my…" she said. "Get me towels, the first aid kit and some clothes." She hauled the girl upstairs to the bathroom and he obeyed, grabbing the items and following her. She had pulled off the girl's backpack and untied her hair, taking the pen-wait. Pen? He blinked in confusion until his mom pulled off the girl's sweater.

Black tattoos went up her arms, stopping at her shoulders. A tattoo, SPQR, he made out with a trident and seventeen lines was on her right forearm. Scars intersected with the tattoos, like claws and sword slashes. He set the towels on the counter, along with the first aid kit. His mom pulled off her shirt, a tattered blue tank top, revealing a black sports bra. A tattoo on her side disappeared into her jeans and bra, swirling halfway across her stomach and curling around her belly button.

He didn't really care that she was a girl and he was a guy, because who cared? His mom pulled off her bra, pulling her toward her, and revealing a trident tattoo on her back, from her neck disappearing into her jeans. Three claw scars intersected with it. The tattoo on her side stopped about five inches away.

He started the bath, still watching. She pulled off her pants and underwear, gently laying her in the water as soon as the water was ready. She was covered in minor injuries, bruises and small scratches. Scars were everywhere on her body, too many to count and place. There was a rather detailed owl tattoo on her left hip, its wings wrapping around her body like it was holding onto her.

They washed her from head to toe, shampooing and conditioning her hair well to get the dirt and grime out and then wrapped her in fluffy towels. He held her while his mom went to find some clothes that'd fit her, muttering under her breath that she hoped to find some. He combed her hair, which was hard because it was long, hip length, but he managed to comb it and then braid it. Her hair was unusually soft for not being washed in he guessed maybe… a week? He didn't know. He tied the end and patted the rest of her body dry before grabbing the first aid kit. He rubbed on healing medicine on the cuts, and then put the right sized bandages on them. He then rubbed lotion on her skin, a lotion so soothing that instantly her skin turned soft and moisturized. He glanced at the pen on the backpack and put it in there, so he wouldn't get tempted to uncap it.

"I'm back." His mom said, coming in with clothes as he rubbed on the lotion on her legs. "Oh, honey, you didn't have to do that." She said.

"It's okay. I got her wounds bandaged." He gestured to the small bandages and her braid. "I combed her hair and braided it, so it'd be easier to get her dressed." She smiled and patted his curls. She slipped on her clothes then they took her to the guest room, laying her down and covering her.

"Let me know if she wakes up." He nodded and she left, shutting the door. He got up and got her backpack and his, sitting on the desk and doing his homework, glancing at her every now and then. Her lashes brushed her cheeks, strands of hair on her face.

When he'd seen her smash through that wall, he felt this aura of power radiate from her, and thought she might be a goddess in disguise. The way she moved with ease, the jumps and flips, her strength, he felt almost… jealous and a bit suspicious. He felt embarrassed when she grabbed his waist and jumped into the air. He felt fear when she passed out.

* * *

He finished his homework and fell asleep afterwards for who knows how long. When he woke up, his eyes met gray eyes.

He yelped and fell out of his chair. He scrambled up, pressing himself against the wall, staring at the beauty sitting in front of him on the bed.

"Y-Y-You're awake." He stuttered out like an idiot. She nodded, scratching her cheek.

"How long have I been out?"

 _Thump thump._

He gulped. "Just a few hours." She nodded again, looking around the room curiously. Her bangs were hanging in her eyes, her eyes wide with curiosity. Her strap for her tank top was falling down from her shoulder, her shorts pulled up. She was thin, built like a runner and rather athletic looking. Her chest well… She was big there, not to mention on her bottom and hips.

"Where am I?" she asked, looking at him again with those beautiful eyes.

"M-My house… After you collapsed, I-I brought you here." He gulped. _Please don't remember anything from earlier._

"I see…" She tilted her head at him. "What's your name?"

"C-Carlos." He squeaked out. "Y-You?" She smiled.

"Alyx."

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Two - Carlos**

He cautiously sat down again on the chair, eyeing her carefully. She seemed harmless but he wasn't about to let his guard down.

"Alyx, huh…?" he said quietly. "Where are you from?" She looked down.

"I don't know. I only know my name." She played with her shorts. "I woke up in a forest and only knew my name. Riptide was the only thing I had on me, as well as this dagger."

So he was right. He fidgeted, nodding.

"I see…" he muttered, going over and picking up her backpack. "Here you go." He handed it to her and then sat down. She opened it and pulled out the pen and dagger, sighing in relief and setting the items down.

"I ran out of supplies a week ago." She said, picking up the pen and rubbing the cap.

"What'd you do for money…?" he asked.

"I took jobs." She said, setting the pen on her lap. "Running errands, capturing criminals for the cops. I received this pack the last job I did, and that's when I had to start running."

"Running?"

"From monsters." She flicked her eyes up to him. "Like the giant you saw."

"Right." He muttered. "Well, I've been protected my whole life, so I wouldn't know what running into monsters is like." She tilted her head.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm a demigod, but my smell has been masked." She perked up at the mention of being a demigod.

"You're a demigod too?" She asked. He nodded, narrowing his eyes.

"You're one?"

"Yeah." She frowned. "At least I think." She muttered.

"Oh." He scratched his head. "Well, come on. My mom wants to meet you." He stood. She stood as well, a bit shaky, holding her pen tightly. He felt jealousy creep up, and scowled at their height difference.

"What?" She asked, looking down at him.

"Nothing." He mumbled. They walked downstairs, where his mom was making dinner.

"Mom?" he asked. She turned, her eyes widening at Alyx next to him.

"Oh! You're awake!" She greeted. "Come sit!" They sat at the table and he noticed how fidgety she was getting. She looked around, pushing her hair out of her face.

"Is it just you two here?" she asked. His mom shook her head.

"No, my husband and daughter are on a trip." She turned the stove on low.

"Oh." Alyx looked at him then at her. "And you're demigods?" His mom nodded.

"Oh, yes." She pulled out her chair, sitting down and brushing her bangs away. "My husband is son of Hephaestus and I'm daughter of Aphrodite."

"Oh I see." She muttered. "That's why he's so cute." She smiled at him. His mom laughed.

"Yes, he gets the looks." She said, leaning into her hand. "What about you, dear?"

"Uh…" She fiddled with her pen. "I dunno. I know I'm a demigod, but I don't know who my parents are."

"I see…" She gestured to the pen. "And what's that?"

"Oh." She held it up. "This is Riptide." He saw his mom's eyes widen and her lips part, but she said nothing. Instead, she tilted her head like she was dumbfounded.

"Riptide?"

"Yeah." She uncapped it, making it sprout to the 3 foot blade. He saw her bite her lip, taking a breath and smiling.

"My husband will be so fascinated."

"Hephaestus is god of… forges, right?" She asked, scratching her head.

"Yes."

"I see… I'm sorry, I only know my name, so I can't remember much."

"That's okay." His mom patted her hand. "What's your name?"

"Alyx."

"Alyx." She repeated. "I like that name. I'm Silena Beckendorf."

"Nice to meet you." They shook hands. She capped Riptide and put it on the table, playing with her hair.

"I need a haircut…"

"I can give you one. I'm a hair stylist." She said. "Maybe after dinner?" Alyx inhaled, relaxing and licking her lips.

"Oh, sure. I'm so hungry…" His mom patted her head as she got up.

"I'm sure you are." She said. "My husband and daughter should be back in a few minutes."

"Where'd they go?"

"Just to the store."

"Oh, you made it sound like they went fishing." His mom laughed, a genuine, sweet laugh, and went back to stirring the noodles.

"So how old are you, Carlos?" She asked, leaning her hand into her chin.

"Seventeen."

"You will be seventeen, dear."

"Mom!"

"Oh?"

"February fourteenth." His mom said.

"M-Mom!"

"Valentine's day?" She asked, snickering. "An Aphrodite descendant born on the day of love."

"Shut up!" He whined, burying his face into his hands. She laughed, covering her mouth and smiling.

"Cute!" She grabbed his cheeks and squeezed. "Really cute at that." He turned red. He'd been hit on before, but something about her was different. It didn't feel like when the guys at school would do it; she did it like they were siblings.

"Mama! We're home!" He sighed when he heard his sister's sweet little voice. She came running in, carrying some bags, squeaking when she saw Alyx. His dad came in next.

"Who are you?" his dad asked as he spotted her. His dad was a big, buffy black man with short black curls like his own and brown eyes. He had scars and big arms from working in his shop all the time, and even in their teenager years he was huge.

"Did Carlos get a girlfriend?" Pearl giggled.

"No!" He said. Alyx laughed and gave the peace sign.

"I'm Alyx." She stood, making his dad's eyes widened.

"Whoa! You have a lot of tattoos!" Pearl giggled, grabbing her wrist and showing her SPQR tattoo. She then turned her hand over to reveal and trident on the back of her hand that he hadn't noticed.

"Are you a biker or something…?" his dad asked, eyeing her SPQR tattoo suspiciously.

"No, I woke up with these."

"Woke up?"

"I got amnesia." She tapped her forehead. "I only remember my name."

"I see…"

"Charlie, don't be suspicious."

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are." His mom patted her shoulder. "Alyx, meet Charles, my husband and Pearl, my youngest daughter."

"So Carlos isn't the oldest…?" Alyx asked, confusion writing over her face now.

"No, gods, no."

"Hey!"

"He's the middle child." Pearl giggled. "Harper's in New York at college!" Pearl wrapped her arms around Alyx's waist, looking up at her. "You're really pretty!"

"Thank you." Alyx laughed, patting her head. He frowned. Pearl never liked anybody that quick, so this was very new. "You're pretty too." She fixed her ponytails, making her giggle.

"I am?" She asked, blushing brightly.

"Very." She poked her belly, like they'd known each other forever. "You're gonna be a gorgeous young lady in the future."

"I'm gonna be kind and pretty like Harper!" Pearl said.

"Harper's the oldest, right?" She looked up at his dad, who stared at her a bit disapprovingly.

"Yes." He replied gruffly.

"I see." She patted Pearl's head. "Oh, there goes my stomach." His mom laughed.

* * *

They served their plates and sat down, eating. He was trying to think of something to ask her, something that wouldn't sound stupid like 'Where are you from' when she spoke.

"Carlos mentioned something about masking the smell of demigods." Alyx asked, already halfway through her food. "How do you do that?"

"It was an invention by us." His dad said, still a bit suspicious. "Silena made the smell and I made the soap."

"Soap?" his mom smiled.

"It's scentless to demigods, but mortals can smell it." Carlos muttered.

"Ooh." Alyx said, taking another bite then swallowing. "What's it smell like?"

"Lavender, rose, apples, it has a few different scents." He said. She tapped her foot, getting up and getting some more.

"I see…" She mumbled, sitting back down. "How come you know that?" He turned red.

"I-I get hit on a lot at school." He mumbled, hoping she wouldn't hear him.

"Oh?" She laid her hand in her chin. "Must be rough."

"I had my butt squeezed today!" His dad slammed his fist on the table, making her and him jump.

"What?" He turned red, his eyes widening at what he just said. "By who?"

"J-Just a guy, Dad. It's fine, I told him off." His dad narrowed his eyes, frowning. Alyx frowned as well.

"I'm guessing you don't like me much?" she said, swirling her fork in her noodles.

"Well, I don't know you, and you suddenly appear in my home, and get along with my daughter just fine."

"Point taken." She said. "Don't worry, I'm not harmful." He narrowed his eyes.

"Dad, I found her in the park."

"You make it sound like you found a dog."

"Hey." His mom warned.

"She was a fighting a giant-"

"Laistrygonian." Alyx said.

"Yeah, that. She was fighting it in the park! You should've seen her! Jumping up and flipping, she was cool!"

"So you have fighting training?"

"Yeah." She rubbed the fork. "I don't know where from though."

"She was flipping all over the place!" He said excitedly. "She even grabbed me and lifted me into the air to protect me!"

"What…? You're strong enough to do that?" His dad looked at her with wide eyes. She sat down, chuckling.

"Yeah."

"Can you show us?" Pearl asked excitedly, grabbing her shirt and bouncing in her chair. Alyx laughed and ruffled her hair.

"Maybe later."

* * *

They finished eating, his dad going outside into his shop while his mom went to get her tools to cut Alyx's hair. He did the dishes, watching Alyx bounce Pearl on her lap.

"So you're really a demigod?" Pearl asked.

"Well, I think so." She replied. "I mean, I see monsters and I have a sword."

"What? You have a sword?!" Pearl asked, getting excited. Alyx laughed. "Show me!"

"Later, Pearl." She said, poking her nose. "I don't want your parents' getting heart attacks at a blade." Pearl pouted. He shut the dishwasher door, wiping up the counter and filling the pans with soapy water. Then he went and sat down next to her.

"So you carried Carlos to safety?" His face heated up.

"Yup!" His mom came down, holding her kit.

"Alright, come into the kitchen." Pearl hopped off Alyx's lap and skipped into the kitchen with her. ALyx sat down, his mom pulling the cape around and buttoning it. She pulled out the braid and opened her kit.

"What kind of cut do you want?" She asked, untying the braid.

"Um…" Alyx thought for a moment while her hair was being undone. He noticed her look at a picture of Thalia, daughter of Zeus.

"Like that." His mom nodded and began cutting.

It took a few minutes, but she was careful and precise. Her hair was curly, similar to his mom's but looser. To say the least, she was pretty.

"There you go." His mom said after she finished. She handed her a mirror.

"Perfect." Alyx said, running her fingers through it.

* * *

He examined his body in the mirror, frowning and pulling on a shirt, taking off his pillows to pull back the covers.

"Ohoho." He turned to see Alyx leaning in the doorway, a toothbrush in her mouth, her hair damp and dressed in a blue night shirt, a smirk on her face.

"H-Hey!" He grabbed a pillow, pressing it against his lower half. "There's such a thing called knocking!"

"I did knock."

"No, you didn't." She shrugged, patting his curls. "Night, Carlos. Thanks for saving me." She smiled and left before he could say anything.

Who was this girl…?

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	3. Chapter 3

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Three - Carlos**

 _"Find my daughter!"_

He sat up in a cold sweat, panting. He glanced at the clock; 5:44 AM. He sighed, slowly getting out of bed and taking a shower. He took a hot shower, then stared at himself in the mirror, frowning. He squeezed his thighs, then hips. _God I'm fat..._ He sighed.

He got dressed and went downstairs. He made himself eggs and toast, ate and left a note on the table for his dad. He grabbed his sweater and backpack, and headed out, locking the house as soon as he left.

* * *

He spent the day out of it. He was tired for some reason, his head hurt and his stomach was churning. He avoided conversation as much as he could.

 _Find my daughter…?_ He thought as he waited for his mom. She sent a text (monster proof phones) about saying she'd pick him up that day. _So obviously someone's looking for her. I wonder why it's taking so long to find her._ He sighed.

"Hey." He turned, meeting Andrew's eyes, the captain of the football team and the guy who continuously kept hitting on him. Andrew pressed a hand against the wall beside his head. "I haven't gotten my answer yet." He sighed.

"No."

"Why not? Come on."

"No, Andrew."

"Carlos, come on…" Andrew said, putting his other hand the wall, leaning down dangerously close. "If you get together with me, I could treat you like a prince." He resisted rolling his eyes. He heard someone clear their throat.

"Excuse me." Andrew turned, revealing Alyx, Pearl behind her and gripping her hoodie. She looked like a juvie delinquent, someone who'd give the teachers heart attacks if they met her or saw her. Her hair, earrings (which he'd noticed after her hair had be cut) and dressed in all black, plus her scars, made her look like a punk.

"Who are you?" Andrew sneered. Alyx put her hands in her hoodie pockets. She wore black jeans, black Converse hi-tops and a black hoodie, her hair styled like she'd just rolled out of bed but somehow combed it.

"His friend." She said, smiling sweetly. "I suggest you step away before I knock your pretty little teeth in."

"Excuse me?" He waved his hands at his throat, shaking his head, his eyes wide. He did _not_ want to get in trouble for this.

"You're harassing him." She said calmly, unaffected by his rising anger and Carlos's frantic gesturing.

"No, he's been turning me down for months."

"Then that's telling you that he does not like you and doesn't want to be with you." She tilted her head, her eyes glittering dangerously now. "Please step away and proceed to not talk to him ever again." Andrew frowned, looking at him and then at her.

"And if I don't?" She sighed, slamming her hand on the wall beside Andrew's head. She was the same height as the football player, maybe an inch shorter. She wore black fingerless gloves that he hadn't noticed before, ending just before the middle knuckle.

"Like I said, I'll knock your teeth in." She smiled. "And that won't be good for your ego, would it?" By now, people were staring, guys staring at her and girls whispering among themselves. He caught such things as _'Whoa, that girl is hot'_ or _'Should we get a teacher'._ Andrew glared and left, looking over his shoulder and scowling.

She put her hand back in her pocket, clearly satisfied with her threat.

"You really didn't have to do that…" He mumbled, patting Pearl's head as she hugged him. Alyx shrugged.

"It's okay. I caught him just in time." She looked around, obviously a bit uncomfortable. "Let's get going."

* * *

They walked down the sidewalk, Pearl begging to be picked up. Alyx picked her up and set her on her shoulders, making her giggle and pat her head, running her fingers through her hair.

"Where'd you get those clothes?" He asked.

"Your mom took me shopping this morning before she let me come here." She replied. She shivered. "People gave me so many weird looks."

"Well…" He mumbled. "You look like you just got out of juvie."

"Hey!" He snickered.

"What'd you do in the time you had left?"

"Just roamed. Went and picked up Pearl and we went to the park for a minute." She patted Pearl's legs. "Have fun on the swings?"

"Yeah!" She smiled and they passed a Starbucks.

"Ooh, coffee sounds really good right now…" Alyx said.

"Hot cocoa!" Pearl giggled.

"Want some?" He asked. "I'll pay." She grinned and nodded. They went in, Alyx telling him what she and Pearl wanted (since the cashier would have a heart attack with Alyx) and went to sit by the window. He ordered, got their drinks when they were called and sat down with them.

"Ah…" Alyx sighed. "I love coffee." He shook his head, smiling a bit. She put her chin in her hand, looking out. He looked with her, watching as people adjusted their coats and scarves. She frowned.

"Wow, do people not like the cold out here?"

"No. They like summer way more." He leaned back, watching a couple and their boy.

"I see…" She locked eyes on a girl by the AutoZone, her eyes clouding over.

"What?" He followed her gaze. The girl had wild brown curly hair, like she'd just rolled out of bed and didn't bother brushing it, amber eyes and dark skin like his own. She wore a red hoodie, blue jeans and black combat boots. A tool belt was around her waist. She disappeared inside.

"Do you know her?" Alyx pursed her lips.

"I-I…" She looked down, gripping her cup. "I don't know… There's like a tugging at the back of my mind, but it faded immediately." She sighed.

"It's okay." He patted her hand. "We'll get your memory back." She smiled a bit, then glanced out again. Her fingers were slender, elegant and beautiful. Her fingernails had been trimmed, but he would not like to get scratched by them.

"The tattoo on your hand…" He tapped her right hand. "What's that? It's similar to the one on your back." She pulled off her glove. The three headed weapon from the beginning of her wrist, then up and separated onto three of her fingers. Index, middle and ring. She slipped it back on.

"Let's get going."

* * *

They walked down the same route that he always went from school to home. They finished their drinks and threw them in a trash can. Pearl pointed at the swing set.

"Can we?" She asked.

"Sure." They walked up the hill, Carlos taking off his backpack and setting it by the pole before sitting on one of them. Pearl sat on the one next to him, Alyx pushing her. He watched, slightly swinging but not much.

"Thanks for sticking up for me…" he said.

"Of course." She pushed Pearl, making her giggle. "When I meet someone that I know is good, I'm loyal to them."

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. When I'd take jobs for the police department and stuff, I still feel like I should help them." He smiled a bit then looked down. Should he tell her about the dream? Or should he keep quiet and not put any more stress on her?

* * *

They got back to the house, Pearl pouting about having to do homework. He patted her head.

"We'll do it together." She nodded. They pulled off their shoes and hung up their jackets. They sat at the table, pulling out their folders. He pulled out the papers for algebra, a bit irritated with it.

"If you want, I can help Pearl with hers." He looked up, meeting her eyes and smile.

"But um… Not to be mean but…" He scratched his head. "Do you remember anything from school…?" She shrugged.

"I can try. What grade are you in, Pearl?"

"5th!"

"Alright."

* * *

He finished his math, and then went to the essay for history. He glanced at Alyx and Pearl, both of them focused on Pearl's homework.

"How's it going?" he asked, sharpening his pencil.

"Good! Alyx is smart!" Pearl giggled, holding up her paper and handing it to him. He scanned it, his eyes widening.

"Everything's right…" He said, handing it back. "And you're not using a calculator?"

"Nope." She pulled it from the pouch. "It's actually really easy. Then again, it's fifth grade math. How's yours going?" He shrugged.

"I have to do a history assignment."

"About?"

"Greek gods." He proudly puffed out his chest. "I mean… If I get through the dyslexia…"

"Lemme see." He handed it over. She read the question, then handed it over.

"That's easy." She said, putting her chin in her hand. "You know the answer already." She scoffed. "Like it's hard." He nodded and started writing.

* * *

He finished, glancing up at Alyx and Pearl. They were finishing up, Pearl putting her folder into her backpack then hugging Alyx.

"Thank you!" She patted her head.

"You're welcome."

"We're home!" He got up, peaking around the pillar.

"Hey." He greeted. His parents came in, patting his head.

"Hey, sweetheart." His mom kissed his cheek, making him blush brightly. "You guys doing homework?"

"Alyx is super smart!" Pearl said. "She helped me today."

"Oh?" His mom set some grocery bags down.

"Yeah!" Pearl ran up, looking in the grocery bags.

"It's nothing really. I'm glad to help out." She said, running her fingers through her hair. "Do you guys need any help?" She stood.

"Uh…" His mom thought. "I'm not sure…"

"Alyx," his dad said, making him freeze. Oh boy. Usually his dad was a big softie, but when someone new or someone he didn't like, he used that tone of voice. "Come with me." Alyx looked a bit confused, but followed him outside. He followed, biting his nail. His dad led her to his shop, opening the door and allowing her in first. He peaked in after his dad went in, gulping.

"Wow…" Alyx said in awe, looking around. Blueprints were pinned on the boards, his tools were neatly put away, and metal consisting of iron, steel, Celestial Bronze and Imperial Gold sat in buckets. A few weapons, like bows, swords, daggers and other weapons that were masterpieces hung on the walls.

"Have a seat." She sat down on a stool, looking up at him like a dog waiting for a treat.

"So, what are you intentions with my son?"

"Um… Pardon?"

"What are you intentions with my son?" He repeated. She raised her eyebrow.

"Nothing, sir." She said. "He saved me."

"I know that." He bit his lip, crossing his arms, veins rippling through his arms. "I had a dream last night. I saw you fighting with my boy and another guy."

"Okay…" She said, intertwining her fingers.

"And I'm sure that you have some sort of…" He chewed his lip, trying to find the word. She reached into her pant pocket and pulled out her pen, extending it to him.

"Uncap it. If you know anything about my past, tell me, please." He raised an eyebrow, before uncapping it. It sprung into the sword, making his eyes widen and nearly drop it.

"Where'd you get this?" He demanded.

"I had it on me when I woke up." She said calmly. "As well as a dagger."

"What sort of dagger…?" She got up and left, making him hide quickly. She came back, handing the dagger over and sitting back down. His eyes widened even more as he unsheathed it.

"You…" He narrowed his eyes.

"I'm sorry if I've offended you in any way." She said, wringing her hands together. "I lost my memory and I've been homeless for a month. Then Carlos found me." She looked up at him, her eyes serious. "I promise I'll protect him with my life. If anything dares threaten him, I will rip them apart with my bare hands."

He gulped.

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	4. Chapter 4

_If the stories seem rushed, I'm sorry. I have a lot on my plate and I like long chapters in my stories. But please, if you view it, at least leave a favorite or review if you like it. Harsh criticism will be ignored, and I will take constructive criticism._

 _I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Four - Alyx**

Getting her memory taken away, waking up in the middle of a forest, only having two items on her and covered in tattoos and scars, was _not_ her idea.

At first, it was fine. She earned money by helping out the fire and police department with catching criminals and saving people, helping ones in need and stopping robberies and muggings.

And then the monsters begin to attack. She didn't remember the names at all, but some were half-snakes and half-human, some were giants and others were too hard to explain, mostly because they were fast and disappeared as soon as she sliced them.

Weird part: she couldn't get hurt. No matter what, if they clawed her or hit her, their claws or hands would shatter and she'd be unaffected by it. Her clothes ripped of course.

Then she met Carlos. Thanks to her fast reflexes and good eyes, she spotted him as soon as she blasted through that wall. She had landed in front of him, grabbed him and lifted him into the air and then pushed him behind her to protect him. And like a hero, passed out in front of him.

 _And then_ when she came to, she found him lying on the desk in the room she was in, asleep and looking like an angel. Seriously. His curly black hair was neatly kept, his skin sun-kissed and dark freckles were prominent on his face. To say the least, he was incredibly cute and handsome. So she just stared at him until he woke up and freaked out.

And finally, meeting Silena and Charles. Something tugged on the back of her brain, like a memory trying to grasp the names and remember. Then it disappeared as soon as it came.

To say the least again, she was ticked off. But she hid it so that way Carlos or Pearl (who was like an absolute sweetheart) wouldn't get scared or think of her wrongly.

Friday morning, checking the time read 5:00. She took a hot shower, using the scentless soap. She dressed in black jeans and a black skin tight tank top, pulling on her socks and slightly combing her hair before heading downstairs. She started to cook, making eggs and toast and bacon. She heard the shower turn on, signaling that Carlos was awake. She got a plate out, setting it down and moving around.

"What are you doing awake?" She looked over to see him yawning, rubbing his eyes. He came in the kitchen and sat down.

"I couldn't sleep." She replied, setting the plate in front of him and getting a fork.

"Oh." He glanced at the food. "You cook?" She nodded.

"Yeah, I used to cook all the time for the firefighters and cops." He picked up his fork and cut into the eggs, taking a bite. His eyes widened and a small blush erupted across his freckle covered cheeks.

"Oh wow…" He moaned. The blush darkened and he patted his lips with his napkin. "Sorry."

"It's okay." She smiled and went back to finishing up cooking. "I made your family breakfast so Silena doesn't need to stress over it."

"Thanks, Alyx…" She turned and smiled at him, then served her plate and sat across from him. He devoured the food, sighing in happiness as he leaned back.

"Man that was good…" He licked his lips, eyeing the bacon on the stove before blushing and getting up, picking up his plate and setting it in the sink.

"There's an extra piece or two if you want it." She said, wondering why he was acting so weird.

"No, no. Pearl and Dad will probably want them so." He glanced at them again. "I'm gonna go brush my teeth." He quickly left. She frowned, finishing her food and leaving a note, since they wouldn't be up for a while. She quietly walked up the stairs, spotting him in the bathroom, sighing and putting his toothbrush away, a frown on his face.

"You okay?" She asked, making him jump.

"U-Uh… Y-Yeah!" He quickly ran into his room, shutting the door then coming back out with his backpack.

"I'm going to walk you to school." She said. "Wait for me."

"You don't have to-"

"It's early and dark, lemme come." He pursed his lips, his blue eyes dull.

"Fine…" She brushed her teeth, going into the room she was staying in and pulling on her gloves, making sure Riptide was in her pocket. Then she followed him downstairs, pulling on her shoes and hoodie. He did the same, looking a bit annoyed but letting her out and then locking up the house.

* * *

She breathed in the air.

"Ah…" She sighed. Fresh snow covered the ground, the sun barely in the sky at the moment, but she could tell it'd be one of those days; sunny and slightly warm. But at the moment, it was freezing. They walked down the sidewalk, silence in the air. She glanced at him. He wore loose jeans and a loose hoodie, his hands stuffed in his hoodie pockets.

"Are you shy about your body or something?" She asked suddenly without thinking. He scowled.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I'm fat."

"No you're not." She furrowed her eyebrows. Why would he think he was fat?

"Yes, I am." He looked at the ground. "I have way too much fat on me."

"You're not fat, Carlos."

"Yes I am."

She grabbed his shoulders, startling him.

"One, you're not fat. You have meat on you, but that's muscle, not fat. Two, if anyone calls you fat, knee them in the crotch as hard as you can. Same goes for someone who's hitting on you." He turned red.

"I've never hurt anybody in my life." She shrugged, squeezing his shoulders gently.

"We'll make it work."

Once they got to the school, she patted his curls.

"Remember, knee anyone in the crotch." He deadpanned.

"Uh, thanks…" She nodded.

"I'll pick you up after school." She patted his head, turned and started to walk away.

"A-Alyx?" He said. She turned a bit, seeing him fidgeting with his jeans. "Can we talk more after school?"

"Sure." She smiled and walked around the corner.

* * *

She went back to the house, seeing the cars in the driveway gone. She frowned and headed toward the ocean, something that comforted her most. She stood on a hill that overlooked the ocean, the Golden Gate Bridge covered in fog, morning mist overlaying on the water. Sailboats, cruise ships and fishermen boats were docked.

She pulled out Riptide, the only thing other than the dagger that was connected to who she really was. She shut her eyes, hoping something would come to her if she said it.

 _Please, send me something. Anything. A clue maybe._

Of course.

Nothing. She sighed, putting the pen in her pocket and raising her eyes to the sky. She closed her eyes as a breeze went by, cool and smelling like salt water.

 _Jackson…_

Her eyes snapped open, looking around. A woman's voice said it. Jackson? Who in the world is that?

"Who's Jackson?" She asked, immediately feeling like she sounded stupid.

Silence.

She scowled, clenching her fists, about to turn around when it happened again.

 _Poor thing… Just like her father…_

"What? Who's my father?" Whoever was speaking to her made a _tsk-tsk_ sound.

 _That wouldn't be fun if I told you, now would it? I want to see you suffer, Alyx Perseus Jackson… I hope you do, so please, do a little quest and see how much you impress me._ The woman laughed and everything settled down.

* * *

She roamed downtown until it was time to get Carlos, but the woman's laugh rung in her mind. So there was her full name. Alyx Perseus Jackson. She wondered who named her that. She wondered who her parents were.

Carlos was trying to avoid people at the pickup, ducking under people and maneuvering around them. She had to admit it, he was fast and flexible. Once a guy swung around to say hello to a girl, nearly hitting Carlos in the face but he quickly ducked and spotted her, taking up a jog. Some people gave her weird looks like yesterday, but she ignored them. He was about 7 feet away when the guy from yesterday and a few other guys surrounded him, blocking his path. She scowled and started walking toward them quietly, making people part away, gulping and shrinking. Carlos was visibly trembling, his eyes widening when Andrew, she believed his name was, lowered his hand and touched dangerously close to his bottom.

She tapped a guy's shoulder, making him turn. She smiled at him, like she did yesterday, tilting her head.

"Excuse me, that's my friend you're harassing." She said. Andrew sneered. Something about him nerved her ever since yesterday. He gave off a smell, sweet almost but at the same time sinister.

"And if I don't?" He lowered his hand, making Carlos stiffen, his blush overtaking his freckles. She narrowed her eyes.

"Take your hand off him. Now." Her tone lowered dangerously, taking on something that had struck fear into the criminals she caught.

Apparently it didn't work on him.

Carlos squeaked and covered his mouth, his eyes tearing up. That made her snap. She lunged, slamming her fist into his face and knocking him back a few feet, making people scatter. His gooney's backed away.

Andrew got up, spitting, a bruise forming on his cheek.

"A-Alyx, n-n-not here…" Carlos whimpered, grabbed her arm gently. Andrew grinned, black blood running down his chin.

"See, this is what happens when you don't obey Master."

"Master?" She asked, raising her eyebrow. Andrew lunged, his fingernails sprouting into claws, aiming for her chest. Carlos tugged on her arm.

"Alyx, dodge!" He cried. She narrowed her eyes, and Andrew's claws racked across her chest, then he howled, falling to the ground and putting his hands to his chest, panting. His eyes had dilated, his skin taking on a tiger like look.

"W-What in the world?" Carlos said, absolutely terrified now. Andrew's gooneys also sprouted claws, surrounding her and him. She backed up, keeping her arms outstretched to prevent him from getting out her grasp. She felt him trembling, and she didn't blame him. Andrew stood, snarling. By now, high schoolers were screaming and trying to get back inside, staying as far away as possible. She pulled out Riptide, making them slightly recoil, scowling at the blade.

It occurred to her that they've seen this blade before.

"You will perish." Andrew growled, lunging and raking his claws. She raised her sword upward, and his claws were sliced off. He wailed and with one more slice to his middle he evaporated in black smoke. The other monsters hesitated.

"Well?" She said. "I'm waiting." They backed off.

"We'll make sure you suffer." One hissed, and they vanished in puffs of smoke. She scowled, capping her sword and turning to Carlos, who still looked terrified and embarrassed.

"Come on, let's go home." She wrapped her arm around his shoulders, blocking the view for noisy people, and led him away.

* * *

When they were walking down the sidewalk, the same one they met on, he started to cry. She stopped and hugged him.

"It's okay…"

"I-I'm such a coward!" He sobbed into her shirt. "S-Second time I get groped. I cowered when they attacked! I'm so pathetic!" She rubbed his back, and then gently pushed him back, cupping his cheek and wiping his eye lid with her finger. He sniffled, leaning into her hand, tears falling down his cheeks.

"It's not your fault, Carlos…" She said gently. "You're not at fault at all." She sighed. "I brought this upon you and your family, so I'm at fault." He flicked his beautiful blue eyes up to her.

"You saved me again…" He whimpered. She ran her finger across his eye lid again, making his eyes flutter.

"And I plan to do it again and again."

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	5. Chapter 5

_Haha, when I was writing this chapter, Miss Jackson by Panic! At The Disco came on and nothing suits Alyx better. Seriously._

 _I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Five - Carlos**

She led him home, keeping her arm around him tightly for comfort. He didn't protest, mostly because he enjoyed her warmth and embrace. The next fifteen minutes passed by weirdly. First, he sat on the couch, not bothering taking off his backpack or jacket, and just sat there until she gently pulled off his jeans and pulled on his sweats, taking his backpack and jacket as well. She wrapped a blanket around him, cupping his cheek and running her thumb over his eyebrow, which was unusually relaxing.

"T-Thank you…" He sniffled.

"You're welcome." She replied. "You want some hot chocolate?" He nodded. She got up and begin to make it. He watched, sniffing and wiping his nose. Then she set the cup in his hands, and sat next to him.

The next thing he knew, he was asleep.

He stood in a room that looked like a control room you see in movies: wooden walls covered in maps, blueprints and a few weapons, a window looking out onto a deck above a desk with tons of buttons, a steering wheel and a few levers. A black office chair sat there with a girl sitting in it. A big wooden table was in the middle of the room, with twelve people pouring over a map.

He recognized the girl in the chair immediately. She was the one from the AutoZone. Her hair was even more messed up, bags under her eyes and her clothes were wrinkled. Earrings shone in the lighting. She looked ready to fall asleep any minute.

He took in the other people. The first person he noticed was a beautiful older woman with… Puerto Rican features? She had dark brown eyes, tan skin and long black hair tied in a braid down her back. She wore a simple purple shirt, jeans and boots. Her arms were crossed, but she seemed to be agreeing with three kids who looked just like her, except the boys had brown eyes and the girl had blue eyes. The girl had her hair cut to her shoulders, pinned back in a short ponytail, strands hanging in her face. She wore similar clothing to the woman, a purple shirt, jeans and boots. The boys wore purple shirts, jeans and running shoes, their hair short yet modest.

The next girls he noticed were beautiful yet by looking at them, he immediately could tell they could beat someone in a fight. The first girl had chin length black hair, Chinese features, light skin and brown eyes. She too wore the same thing as the others, but her pants were black. Her arms were muscular, yet thin.

The second girl had waist length golden blonde hair tied in a braid, neatly cut bangs on her forehead, just above her eyebrow. They were a bit paler than the rest, like she'd dyed it then when the dye faded it left it pale. Her skin was tannish, not dark like his own or Alyx's, more of… Eh… Light tan, he guessed? Anyway, she wore a blue sweater over an orange shirt, zipped up all the way. She wore jeans and boots. Her eyes were electric blue and flickered in the light.

The last girl was pretty too. Long brown hair tied in a braid as well, dark blue eyes, stormy almost, with tan skin. She looked tired and sad. She wore a black shirt with a skull on it, jeans and boots. She was thin, yet curvy.

The third guy he noticed had chocolatey skin, pale gold eyes, and shaggy cinnamon curls. He wore a purple shirt, jeans and running shoes, but his shirt was backwards and his hair was poorly combed. He had a deep frown on his face, and like brown haired girl, he looked tired and sad.

The fourth guy had dark brown hair, modest yet nicely cut. His eyes seem to shift colors in the light, blue, green, light brown and hazel and a bunch of different colors, occasionally staying on blue. He wore a dark blue sweater like the blonde girl, jeans and running shoes. His glasses were a bit crooked. A scar was on his lower lip and a scar going through his eye.

The next guy had a surfer's tan, gorgeous ocean blue eyes and short blonde hair. A swirling tattoo went up his left arm. Three scars went through his eye. He wore a black long sleeve, jeans and running shoes. He too looked exhausted and sad.

The sixth guy had slightly long auburn hair, sapphire eyes and light tan skin. He had a nick in his eyebrow, like it was cut and the hair never grew back. He wore a blue shirt, jeans, a tool belt and work boots. A pencil was in his hand.

The seventh guy had short blonde hair, electric blue eyes and dark sun kissed skin like his. A two inch scar (thanks Dad) was on his chin. He wore a blue long sleeve, jeans and running shoes.

The eighth guy had slightly long caramel colored hair, brown eyes and tan skin. A scar went through his eyebrow. He wore a red shirt, jeans and running shoes.

Whoo, after checking out everyone, he listened in on the conversation.

"I still do not approve of you joining this quest." The woman was telling the brown haired girl.

"Why not? She's my niece, I should be able to find her like the rest of you." She replied.

Niece?

"Bi, you're making matters worse." The blonde haired girl said. She scrunched her nose up.

"I took a leave of college to find her." She stomped her foot. "I'm going to help you guys and that's final." The woman raised her hands.

"Okay, okay." She said. "Leon, have you had any luck on the scanners?" The girl in the chair, Leon, woke with a start, turning and rubbing her eyes.

"No, but I've picked up a lot of signals from the Hunters."

"What, why?" The gold eyed guy said.

"I have no idea." She replied. "I've been tempted to land, but I dunno…"

"Mom, do you think we should see what they want?" The first boy who looked like her asked. The woman looked at the map, her arms crossed and her lips pursed.

"We should, in my opinion." The Chinese looking girl said. She raised her arm, and that's when he noticed them.

A SPQR tattoo with seventeen lines was on her inner right forearm. A spear intersecting with a weird looking almost wand like image was above SPQR. His heart stopped. Alyx had a SPQR tattoo so that meant…

"Well, I mean I guess so." The woman finally said. "Thalia might have some information."

He sat up straight, bonking heads with Alyx, who yelped and recoiled, holding her forehead. He panted, patting his cheeks to make sure he was real.

"Are you okay, dear?" His mom asked, somehow in front of him, patting his leg. He shook his head.

"Had a dream." He muttered.

"About?"

"Just a weird one like when I was a kid." He smiled weakly, gulping. Alyx raised her eyebrow, like she didn't buy it at all.

"Dinner's ready, love. Come on."

* * *

In a few minutes, they were gathered around the dining table, Alyx happily eating the Chinese food like it was going to vanish. She told stories of fighting criminals and helping out the departments.

He poked his chicken with his chopsticks. Alright, so obviously someone was looking for her. He knew it immediately after seeing the SPQR tattoo. And the mention of Thalia, _Thalia Grace,_ was enough to make him believe someone was searching for her. And who knows how long too. The woman was clearly leading the… Quest? That's what they called it, right? Not to mention all of those people. Was she really that important. He glanced at her. At the moment, she was laughing with her parents, Pearl hugging her arm.

Everything seemed muffled. The laughter and speaking.

He stood abruptly, making his dad look up at him.

"Carlos?"

"Excuse me. I'm going to bed." He picked up his plate and put it on the counter by the boxes and headed upstairs, rubbing his eyes.

He wasn't feeling jealousy.

Or sadness.

Yet, he felt both of them despite not thinking he did.

He took a shower and crawled into bed, curling up tightly in the comfortable sheets and blankets, closing his eyes and sniffing.

Anger.

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	6. Chapter 6

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Six - Alyx**

She noticed how jumpy Carlos would get. When she'd knock on his door, she'd hear a thud and a yelp, or when he'd make his bed with the door open and she would say something to get his attention, he'd immediately freak and jump. Not to mention he'd zone out.

To say the least, she was worried.

She laid in bed Saturday night, staring at the ceiling with boredom. She couldn't fall asleep, so obviously her mind was working. She lifted her arm, looking at the SPQR tattoo and hoping maybe someone was looking for her. Even if it was just one person. Maybe her mom or dad was looking? Or a close relative? She huffed and bit her nail, gripping her pillow and turning onto her side.

"Alyx?" Sitting up, she saw Carlos peeking in, covering his eyes. "Are you decent?"

"Yes." He uncovered his eyes and came in fully, shutting the door behind him, and well… Fidgeting. He shuffled his feet. He wore a long t-shirt and simple boxers with socks, probably not standard sleepwear for winter, but then again she wore shorts and tank tops so she had no room to judge. She pulled off the covers and patted the spot next to her. He shyly crawled in, snuggling under the covers, his shirt pulling up. He cuddled up to her, much to her surprise, and buried his face into her stomach, wrapping his arms around her tightly as if she'd disappear. She ran her fingers through his curls, soft and still a bit damp from his shower.

"What's wrong?" She asked. "You've been weird since yesterday." He sniffled.

"If I told you, you'd leave…"

"What do you mean?" He lifted his head, laying his chin on his hands.

"I'm selfish…" He muttered. "I haven't had friends since junior high, and now you're here…" He sniffled, wiping his eyes. "I want to keep you by my side because you gave me hope…" She chuckled, running her fingers through the curls repeatedly.

"I won't leave you." She said. "You're the one who saved me, and like I said, I plan to save you again and again, even if it costs me my life." He squished his cheek on his hand, blinking.

"Really?"

"Yup. Now, tell me what's bothering you." He shook his head.

"It's nothing. I don't want you to worry…" She chuckled and looked over his head.

"Wow, I was right."

"What?"

"You got a nice body." He glared, pulling his shirt down. "Hey, I'm not hitting on you." She patted his back, pulling him close.

"Rest, okay?" He nodded and fell asleep, his breathing slowing, his lashes fluttering against his cheeks like an angel's. She smiled, running her thumb over his eyelid. She fell asleep slowly, loving the warmth and comfort he gave off.

She stood in a snow covered forest. An older woman with a girl stood in ankle deep snow, both of them seemingly in deep conversation. The girl had shoulder length black hair, electric blue eyes and slightly tan skin. She wore a silver band around her head, with a silver parka, silver camouflaged jeans and boots. The woman wore a purple sweater, jeans and boots, her black hair braided elegantly down her back. She had brown eyes and tan skin, with a few faint scars like she's been battling her whole life.

"I'm telling you, My Lady is missing." The girl was saying. She looked scared.

"I know, so are the other gods."

"What?"

"They've gone silent, like they did with-" The girl suddenly stiffened and turned.

"Shh." She said, drawing a bow. A rabbit came from a bush, a rolled up scroll tied to its neck. Its tail twitched and it bounded up to the girl. She pulled the scroll off and the rabbit went back into the bush. She untied it and opened it, her face paling as she read it.

"No…" She covered her mouth.

"What?"

"The gods have been captured."

She opened her eyes to see Carlos looking at her with a very annoyed expression, his face bright red and his hands curled on her chest like a kitten's.

"What?"

"Your hands are in a place that is very inappropriate." She raised an eyebrow, and squeezed where her hands were. He gasped and squirmed.

"Ooh, big and firm, yet squishy…" She squeezed again and he buried his face into her shirt.

"I can file this as sexual harassment, you know!" he said even though it was muffled. She chuckled and nuzzled his head.

"Come on, let's go bathe." His head shot up.

"Excuse me?"

"What?" She tilted her head.

"B-Bathe? As in… Together?" She shrugged.

"Why not?" He shot up, scrambling away.

"Cause, I don't know… You're a girl and I'm a guy?" She tilted her head more.

"What's your point?" He stared at her in horror. "What? You're the one who rubbed lotion on me, right? I don't see anything wrong with bathing together."

"Y-You…" She laughed, getting out of bed and picking him up bridal style, making him gasp.

"W-We're not even a couple though!" She simply carried him into the bathroom, ignoring his protests.

"You don't want to wake your parents, now, do you?" She purred, making his face turn bright red.

* * *

They sat in the bathtub together, Alyx scrubbing Carlos's back happily. He had tons of freckles, on his back, arms, practically everywhere on his body.

"You got a lot of freckles." She said, grabbing the bar of monster proof soap.

"Yeah…" He mumbled. "I hate wearing shorts out in public in summer."

"Why?"

"It makes me self-conscious…"

"Hm." She laid her chin on his shoulder, scrubbing his hips. He squeaked, curling his toes and moving his head away.

"Does this make you a bit uncomfortable?"

"Y-Yes!" She chuckled and handed him the rag, and he cleaned his privates then allowed her to wash his legs.

"You've got really nice legs." She thought out loud, running it up his calf and making him shiver.

"I-I know… L-Last summer we went to the beach and I got a lot of cat calls…" She shook her head, scrubbing his feet.

"Do you like swimming?"

"Yeah…"

"Running?"

"Yeah."

"Riding bikes?"

"What's with all these questions?"

"I'm just getting to know you better." She said defensively. She twirled her finger. "Turn?" He shook his head rapidly.

"Nope." She chuckled.

"Alright, my turn." He nodded and picked up a second wash rag as she turned. "So, biking?"

"Yeah, only in summer." She nodded, making note.

"What's your favorite candy?" He seemed to perk up at this question.

"Chocolate."

"Heh, same. Favorite food?"

"Hmm…" He scrubbed her neck. "Probably tacos or enchiladas."

"For me it'd have to be maybe… Asian food? I don't know, if I had my memory, I'd know."

"Right." His hands were trembling as he scrubbed lower.

"Hobbies?"

"I dunno, honestly… I liked playing video games with Harper but they're boring now…" He scrubbed her stomach.

"How come you got so shy with your body?" He was silent for a moment, before he replied.

"Last summer, one of Harper's high school friends would make fun of my body when she wasn't around. She told me I was fat and small for my age." Alyx scoffed, scowling.

"What a brat."

"Yeah. I guess she was moody because her boyfriend left her to go overseas."

"Why?"

"I dunno. Then in one of Harper's letters, she said that they broke up when he got back."

"Wow. What a needy…" She had a few names to call her but she decided not to. "And she made you self-conscious?"

"Yeah…" He looked down. She turned, cupping his cheeks and pressing her forehead to his, making his face break out in red.

"I don't think you need to be self-conscious." She said. "Your body makes you who you are, and frankly I have had my moments where I hated my body." She pointed to all of the tattoos and scars. "Then I realized that maybe it wasn't so bad. After all, a lot of cops have ink." He nodded, sniffing.

"But I'm so…" He squeezed his thighs. She wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him into her lap, making him squeak, his face reddening even more.

"I think you're perfect." She said.

"This is weird." He muttered. She laughed and hugged him, nuzzling his wet curls. She took the shampoo and poured some in her palm, massaging it into his hair. He looked down, closing his eyes while she took the shower head and rinsed the soap out. Then she put in the conditioner, twirling his curls happily.

"So cute…" She mumbled.

"You're so weird…"

* * *

They finished bathing and then headed into their rooms to get dressed. She dressed in black leggings and a black tank top and socks. She had no idea where the black came from, she just thought it went along nice with her hair color and eye color. She combed her hair and headed downstairs. Silena was in there, cooking breakfast, her hair tied up in a bun, her face clear from makeup (like she needed, woman was gorgeous) and wore a blue shirt, a white apron and leggings. Pearl, Charles and Carlos were nowhere to be seen.

"Good morning, Alyx." She greeted as Alyx took a seat at the table.

"Morning." She replied, watching her go to the oven and open it. "Need any help?"

"Oh, no, I don't think so. Thank you for offering though." There was a small silence, so she fiddled with her clothing. She thought about her dream, about the girl and woman. The girl looked familiar, but she couldn't place it until… Her eyes met the picture that Silena kept in the kitchen of three kids. In the middle was a black haired, green eyed and tan skin guy, his hair looking like he'd just came from a walk on the beach. To his right was the girl from his dream. She had shorter hair in the picture, and wore a band t-shirt that said _Imagine Dragons_ and black ripped pants with combat boots. The same band she saw in her dream was around her head. To his left was a scrawny boy with pale skin and shaggy black hair and dark eyes. He wore an aviator's jacket, black jeans and sneakers, a black shirt with a skull on it.

Silena caught her staring. "That was taken before Charles and I moved here." She said, pulling out the waffles from the iron. She buttered them.

"Really?"

"Yes." She looked at the picture, a pained smile on her face. "It's been years since I've spoken to them."

"How come you haven't talked to them?" She sighed, sitting down after she poured some more batter.

"It's a long story."

"I'm listening. I like stories." She smiled and looking at her feet.

"It was almost… Twenty three years ago? Or twenty two." She bit her lip. "I dunno. Anyway, we lived in New York at that time. We were staying a camp for half-bloods, Camp Half-Blood, and well there was a war going on." She picked up the picture. "These are the children of the Big Three. That's Percy, Thalia and Nico. Percy is son of Poseidon, Thalia is daughter of Zeus and Nico is son of Hades. Well, the Titan Kronos was coming back, and there was a prophecy saying a half-blood who turned sixteen would either turn the world upside down, or defeat Kronos. Charles… 'Died' in an explosion on a mission, and I supposedly got killed when I got hit with poison." She scowled for the first time since she knew her.

"And you didn't actually die…?"

"It was weird. We felt dead, but then woke up in an apartment with food, clothes, money and the apartment had been paid for." Alyx narrowed her eyes as she sat down again with her glass.

"That's… Suspicious."

"Yeah. So Charles managed to enroll at university, and we eloped, and then I got pregnant with Harper." She patted her belly. "And now I'm having our fourth."

She spat out her drink.

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	7. Chapter 7

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Seven - Alyx**

She kept quiet for the breakfast, which Carlos gave her a weird look, because well, she never shuts up during breakfast. She was getting her second plate when Silena spoke.

"Charlie, I have something to tell you." He looked at her lovingly, and she had to smile a bit. Silena put her hand on his, rubbing his calloused knuckles.

"What's wrong?" She sat down, watching them. Carlos looked very confused and kept leaning over his Dad's shoulder.

"I'm pregnant." The color drained out of both faces, and Pearl was the only one to react happily. She squealed and hopped out of her chair, running up to her mother and grabbing her hand.

"I'm gonna be a big sister!"

* * *

She took a nap a few hours later, mostly because she wondered if she could dream more about Thalia and the woman. Carlos sat by her, drawing in his notebook, allowing her to lay her head in his lap. She squeezed his thighs, making him squeak and slap her head.

Turns out she couldn't sleep, no matter how much she tried. So she just laid in his lap while he drew, mesmerized by his hand movements.

"My legs are falling asleep." He said suddenly. She pouted.

"I'm comfortable!"

"And circulation is cutting out of my legs." She sat up and he stretched. She watched him stand and go into the kitchen to scavenge for some snacks. She analyzed his body. In the bath, she'd noticed how well his body was built. Legs perfect for running and jumping, nice back muscles, and if she could… She could build his arms and abs nicely.

"Do you want to learn how to fight?" He turned, looking at her with a shocked expressing, probably expecting her to be joking, but as soon as he saw her face he shut his mouth.

"I…" He looked down. "Yeah…" He muttered. She grinned.

"Then I'll go ask your parents!"

* * *

She managed to get their approval at dinner. Of course, it'd take some preparation. She'd think of ways to build him up, and to teach him hand to hand and sword combat, she'd need to take it slow.

She laid in bed that night, staring at the ceiling, humming and thinking of the first thing to teach him. Probably basic training, like defense and offense.

"Alyx…?" She lifted her head to see Carlos in the doorway, fidgeting. "Can I sleep with you again…? You give me comfort…" She nodded and lifted her covers as he came to her bed and crawled on top. She laid them back down and rubbing his lower back.

"I don't want to go to school tomorrow…" He muttered.

"I could hang around the area." He nodded and lifted his head to look at her directly.

"What are you going to teach me?" His eyes reminded her of an alley cat's, big and wondering, with a hint of curiosity. They shone in the moonlight slightly shining in.

"Probably basic training for now, and then we'll move onto a bit tougher training." He nodded and laid his head down, training little figure eights on her stomach.

"Goodnight…" He whispered. She smiled.

"Goodnight…"

* * *

She walked him to school the next morning, giving glares at anyone who stared and muttered upon themselves, and gave him a pat on the head.

"I'll pick you up and then we can start our training." He nodded.

"Okay." He said. "See you after school." He blushed and headed inside. She sighed, puffing out her cheeks and heading down the sidewalk.

She roamed the area, shops starting to open for business. Some of the cops who'd she worked with were on patrol and waved as she passed by. She passed by people getting to work, all of them giving her strange looks. She didn't care too much, after living on the streets for a few weeks. She lost track of time but she was awake for… Four weeks? So a month? She'd woken up in a forest and managed to make her way to the city. A kind woman gave her a sweater when she had found Alyx crouching in an alley, shivering in the cold. Then just a few weeks ago, she'd gotten the idea to help out the cops and firefighters when she saw them struggling with some criminals. She'd offered her help and well obviously they were hesitant, but they allowed her. Turns out they were extremely impressed with her physical ability, and they allowed her to stay at the station to shower and get in fresh clothes. They looked at her strangely when they saw the tattoos, but didn't question it. They'd probably seen a lot of weird things in their time.

So she helped them out until the monsters started to attack. She said she'd have to leave and they let her, a bit disappointed. She didn't know how long she ran from them, but she fled and fled until Carlos found her. And of course, the weird dreams and the woman's encounter. She couldn't get it out of her head.

She went to the park and sat in one of the swings. She'd gotten good at telling time without a clock, and when she looked up, the sun was at three. She hopped off the swing and headed to the school, her hands in her hoodie pocket. She waited where she normally did, high schoolers going in groups, laughing and talking about plans for the week or what they did in the weekend. She looked around for him but saw nothing.

"Excuse me?" She looked to her side and saw a man, obviously a teacher, with short curly brown hair and dark brown eyes looking a bit worried. "Are you the girl who took out the football captain Friday?"

"Yes."

"Please come with me." She followed him inside, to the principal's office. The teacher opened the door, revealing Carlos in one of the seats, looking down, embarrassed and ashamed. His backpack was on the floor, but he looked extremely shy. A man sat behind the desk, in a nice suit with slicked back black hair and blueish green eyes.

"Ah, you must be Alyx." He leaned back, tapping his fingers together. "Please sit." She sat down, tapping her foot. Great, her ADHD (she got checked out by a nurse and diagnosed with it) was kicking in. She played with her gloves, tugging on one.

"What's this about?"

"You've caused trouble." He said. "Until you arrived, we've had no problem."

"Yes well, the captain," she scowled, "was sexually harassing my friend." She leaned forward, clasping her hands together.

"What?"

"He kept groping him and wouldn't stop even if he told him to stop."

"Alyx…" Carlos warned quietly.

"I took matters into my own hands when I told him and his friends to back off." She glared as he narrowed his eyes. "I defended my friend, and I see no crime in that." He frowned. She glanced at the plaque on his desk.

"Alyx, may I call you that?"

"No."

"Alyx, you've caused a disruption among this school." He waved at the other teacher. "Please excuse us." The teacher nodded and left, shutting the door. He leaned forward, a deep scowl on his face. She raised her hands defensively.

"Look, if you have a bone to pick with Carlos, why didn't you call his parents?" His scowl turned into a sinister smile and he lunged, grabbing Carlos and pulling him up. A dagger appeared in his hand, pressing it to his throat, making his eyes widen and his body stiffen. She stood, pulling out Riptide, clenching her fist.

"Let him go." She growled.

"No." He smirked, his tongue flicking out and licking Carlos's cheek.

"Gross!" He cried. She uncapped Riptide and he glared.

"Put that ugly thing away, Jackson."

There it was again. Jackson.

"How do you know my name?" He hissed, pulling Carlos to him tighter.

"It's obvious you possess his blood." He growled. "But Milady has told me not to reveal anything or else it'd spoil the future." She scowled, gripping Riptide's handle. "By the way, rocking the black polish."

"Thanks." She replied.

"Now," A portal appeared behind him. "I'll be returning back home to deliver this boy to Master."

"No you will not!" Carlos yelled before she could say anything. He slammed his foot on his captor's, making him wail and let go. Immediately he punched him into the portal and the portal closed. She stared at the wall then looked at him.

"Nice… Um… Nice punch."

"Thank you." He said proudly, picking up his backpack and rubbing his cheek. "Ew, need to bathe now." He wrinkled his nose. She laughed.

"Let's get going."

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	8. Chapter 8

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Eight - Carlos**

They trained from the time he got home to the time they went to bed. They trained for two weeks, Alyx gaining back any weight she lost and well…

"You have a freaking six pack?" He yelled when she pulled off her regular shirt to pull on her training shirt. She looked down at it.

"Guess so." She replied. He scowled at her arms. They were muscular and well built, like she'd been training all her life. She'd probably had. His dad raised an eyebrow, leaning against his shop. She pulled on her shirt and pulled her hair back in a short ponytail. Her nail polish had picked off during the training days, but she'd didn't bother repainting them. Her tattoos and scars glimmered in the setting sun. She started her stretches, her body flexing. Her back muscles, forearms, legs and abdomen were well built and were basically the perfect athlete's body. He frowned deeply and started his stretches. He saw his dad disappear into his shop, keeping it open to keep an eye on them.

During the first week, he noticed the changes in his body immediately. He was sore the first week, but his muscles didn't feel heavy and his body moved better than before.

The Mist, the magical barrier that separates the mortals from seeing the real thing, made the kids at the school believe Mr. Candelaria was the principal the whole time.

They trained until his mom came out, calling that dinner was ready. They wiped themselves of the sweat and headed inside, serving their plates.

"Don't eat too much." Alyx scolded, hitting his arm when he got up to get a second plate. He scowled and piled on some more noodles.

"You're not my mother." He replied.

"Carlos, love, be careful with your tone. She's right, she's trying to build you up, and eating a lot won't help." His mom said, scrolling through pictures on her phone.

"Mom!" He hissed. "She's over there eating like there's no tomorrow!"

"I have fast metabolism." She said, getting up and piling on some noodles and chicken. "Besides," She poked his side. "I see your muscles coming in." She sat down, happily slurping on her food. He sat down as he scratched his neck. Alyx leaned back, patting her stomach happily. She looked at her nails.

"I need to file them again…" She mumbled.

"They'd be wicked in combat." He said.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I wouldn't wanna be scratched by those, that's for sure."

"Heh." She flexed her fingers and then leaned forward, her eyes growing a bit darker. "Also, I would like to ask you something." His mom raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?" Her hands clenched a bit.

"I would like to take Carlos east."

"East?" His dad raised his eyebrow next, putting down his cup. "What do you mean?"

"I would like to take him to New York, to Camp Half-Blood." His parents immediately reacted.

"No."

"Of course!"

His dad looked at his mom with a stern expression.

"Silena, we're not letting our seventeen year old son go off on a dangerous adventure with a girl we don't even know well. Besides, what do you hope to find there?"

"My memory." That shut him up. She looked down. "I know you don't have full trust in me yet, but I promise I'll protect him with my life." He poked her arm, concerned.

"But…" He started. "I'm not even fully trained yet."

"I'll train you along the way." She replied. "Please. I… I need to go that way, and I need help." The two looked at each other, biting their lips.

"We'll talk with you tomorrow. Let us talk about this."

* * *

He crawled into her bed (he'd been doing this a lot lately, mostly because he loved her comfort) and stared at her while she wrote something on her desk.

"What are you doing?" She shrugged, putting her pencil down and getting up, stretching.

"I just did a couple of things to add on my list of what I need to teach you." She crawled in bed, poking his nose. "So how come you've been sleeping in my bed? If your dad catches us, he'll most likely take my head."

"The only reason he's so protective is because I'm his oldest right now." He looked down. "When Harper left for college, he got really overprotective."

"Oh." She laid down, pursing her lips. He nuzzled close to her and happily fell asleep, her arm wrapping around his body and keeping him close.

* * *

The next day, they gave approval reluctantly. He trained the best he could, and she realized that while watching his abilities.

They gathered in the living room Friday night, showered and their bellies full, they sat the bean bag while his parents sat on the couch. There were two hiking backpacks and eight boxes sitting at their feet. Alyx leaned forward, eyeing the packs and boxes.

"What's this?" She asked.

"Gifts." His mom said happily. "In these packs are items to help you on your quest." She patted one. "Food, water, ambrosia, nectar and first aid kits are in both packs. In Alyx's, there's a map, rope and some throwing knives that you can use if you are incapable of using your sword or dagger." She clapped her hands, a glint in her eyes that made him take a mental note to never tick her off. "There's also new bars of monster proof soap inside. You may pack clothes and personal items tonight."

"In Carlos's pack, there are similar items, but you may pack whatever you want to take along." They looked at each other, grinning.

"Now," his dad said, handing Alyx five of them, and him the other three. He scowled a bit.

"Why does she get more?"

"Because I'm more likeable." He made a face.

"Go ahead and open them." He opened his first box, revealing a beautifully crafted Celestial Bronze sword.

"Oh wow…" He said. The handle was wrapped in black leather, and the end had a black gem with engraving on the bottom. CMB.

"My initials?" He asked.

"Yes." He opened the second box, revealing a dagger, Celestial Bronze, similar to the sword. His initials were on the bottom of the dagger as well.

"Cool!" He opened the third, revealing two black scabbards for the weapons.

"So cool…" Alyx said in awe. He grinned and opened the last, revealing a…

"An earring?" He asked, extremely confused. She tilted her head, opening the same sized box, revealing the same earring. They were made of silver metal, and were rather shiny.

"It took us awhile to create these, but put them on." His dad said. Alyx was quick to do hers, taking out the bottom one on her left ear and putting it on.

"Ooh." She said in awe.

"Tap it." She tilted her head but touched it lightly with her finger tip. It shone, and then a mask slid over her face. It covered her nose and her whole lower part of her face. It reminded him of Bucky's mask from Captain America, but more feminine, lighter looking and smaller looking.

"Whoa." Her voice was different, low and husky, almost seductive sounding. His mom shivered.

"I told you it'd work!" She said happily.

"Um, don't mean to interrupt the mood and all, but I don't wear jewelry." He said.

"Just put it on." He wrinkled his nose but picked it up, putting it to the same ear. It clipped on, immediately closing in on his skin and piercing in like a real earring. He squeaked but tapped it and it did the same thing to him.

"That's…" It was completely breathable, and his voice did sound different. Deeper and more… Mature? She laughed and the mask went back to the earring form. He tapped it and it went back. He watched her open her boxes. The second were holsters for her dagger and a leather strap with holds for the throwing knives. The third were combat boots.

"Steel toed." His dad said, putting his chin in his hand, looking a bit excited. "Light and durable for any terrain." She whistled, examining them.

"Nice…" She muttered, thoroughly impressed. She picked up a jacket next. Leather, like a biker's jacket and fine material.

"Wow…" she muttered, running her fingers down it. She smiled, folding it up and laying it in her lap. She picked up the fourth but his mom stopped her.

"Leave that for when the time comes." She raised an eyebrow but nodded and sat it aside. She picked up the last.

"Oh that is my best work by far." His dad said proudly, smiling to his ears. She opened it and gasped. Inside was a double edged sword, the blades dark grey, red ancient Greek engraved in it. The handle was black leather, and was so beautifully designed, he felt slightly jealous.

"Wow…" She said, standing and twirling it. "It's gorgeous."

"It's made of Stygian Iron, Celestial Bronze, Imperial Gold and steel." She slid her fingers over the blade.

"How'd you get those materials?" Carlos asked.

"It was difficult, but I have my connections." He boasted. "Took a lot of hours, but those three are my best work yet. What do you think?" She bowed a bit.

"Thank you."

"And one more thing." His mom got up, handing two envelopes to her. He peeked over her arm to get a look. She raised an eyebrow but opened the first, pulling out…

"Tickets?" She asked.

"Train tickets. The first will take you from here to Denver, the second from Denver to Santa Fe and so on." They looked at each other and she gently put them back, opening the second and gasping.

"Oh no, we can't accept this!" She immediately handed it back, but she pushed it into her hand.

"It's okay. Take it."

"B-But… It's too much…"

"Take it, Alyx." She smiled, squeezing her wrists. "I give my full trust in you."

His mom gave them plastic bags, like vacuum bags, a toothbrush holder, and a few other items. He laid out his clothes for the next day, and zipped up his pack. He set it on his desk, glancing at the homework and putting it in his backpack. That wouldn't be done for a while. He crawled into bed, staring at the ceiling until he closed his eyes.

Thankfully, he had no dreams that night. He slept solid, and when he woke up, he groggily took a shower. It woke him up good, and then he stared at himself in the mirror, patting his stomach. His thighs or bottom didn't let up. He pouted and pulled on his underwear.

"Man, if I knew my age and was in age range, I'd so tap that." He gasped and whipped around, seeing her leaning against the doorway, chewing on her finger nail, eyeing his body carefully. She was dressed in all black, skinny jeans, a skin tight t-shirt and socks. Her gloves were on and her hair was still damp from her shower. The strap for her throwing knives were around her thigh, the holster for her dagger nowhere to be seen, but he saw a belt through her loops.

"Weirdo." He muttered, pulling on his shirt. He pulled on his pants and grabbed his socks and pack.

The oven was on when they got downstairs. His mom was cooking, making a hearty breakfast. His dad and Pearl sat at the table, his dad drinking coffee and reading something on his tablet.

"Good morning." He greeted as he put down his mug.

"Morning." He sat down, tapping his fingers immediately. Alyx served herself some coffee, asking if she could help with anything.

"Oh no, no." His mom said, gently sitting Alyx down. "You need to rest up if you are to fight later." Alyx frowned deeply but nodded.

They ate a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and toast. After they finished, Alyx leaned back and patted her stomach, whistling.

"That was absolutely delicious." She said.

"Thank you." His mom said. When they were eating, he had watched his mom take out a tray of cookies.

"Did you make cookies?" He asked, standing on his tiptoes to look over her shoulder.

"Yes, dear." She zipped it up and handed it to him.

"Yes!"

* * *

They brushed their teeth and packed up the rest of their things. Then they pulled on their shoes. She slid on a hoodie.

"No jacket?" He asked, zipping up his own.

"No. At least not until the weather warms up a bit." She adjusted her gloves. He made sure he had everything and she double checked too.

They sat in the park, since the train didn't leave for another hour. They nibbled on cookies, Alyx nodding in pleasure as she finished hers.

"Wow…" She mumbled, licking her fingers. "If anything, your mom should've opened a bakery."

"She sells sweets at her salon."

"Damn, wow." She licked her lips, looking around. Thankfully, there weren't many people around, so no one could question their packs. He yawned, leaning back, sighing.

Then there was a scream and a guy fell out of the sky.

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	9. Chapter 9

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Nine - Carlos**

Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration.

But he literally fell out of the tree and landed in front of them. A hiking backpack, maybe a bit smaller than theirs, fell on top, hitting on his head and making him grunt.

Alyx and Carlos looked at each other. She stood, going over and kneeling in front of him.

"Are you alright?" She asked. He lifted his head, his eyes electric blue. He had golden blond hair with a black streak running through it, and he could tell it wasn't dyed. His skin was pretty pale, almost white, and he had freckles on his cheeks and nose. He stared at Alyx for a moment, and then a trail of blood ran down his face from his nose. She raised an eyebrow. He winced and stood, wiping his nose and sniffing.

"Sorry." He pulled out a tissue and put it to his nose, sighing. "Insult to injury. Sorry for falling on top of you guys." Alyx laughed and waved.

"It's okay." She said. "Um, what were you doing in a tree?" He scratched his head.

"I woke up there."

"What?" Carlos asked. "You woke up in a tree?"

"Yeah." He looked down, shuffling his feet. "The last thing I remember was my mom telling me I had to flee and then I was knocked out." Alyx frowned, clearly disturbed by that.

"What's your name?"

"Liam."

"Nice to meet you. This is Carlos and I'm Alyx." Liam nodded at them.

"Sorry for uh… Heh, intruding." He scratched his head shyly.

"It's okay, again." She patted his arm. "Where are you heading to?"

"Alyx," Carlos hissed, jumping up and grabbing her arm. "You barely know the guy, why are you asking him that?"

"Um…" She raised an eyebrow. "You're the one who took me to your home."

"That's a totally different reason!"

"East." Liam said awkwardly, looking uncomfortable at their argument.

"Oh? We're heading east too."

"Alyx!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him aside, lowering her voice to a whisper.

"Look, the power radiating off of him is insane." He raised an eyebrow. He did feel something in the air but he just thought that was Alyx. "Besides, look." He glanced to where her thumb was pointing. Liam was dressed in all black. A black leather biker's jacket, a shirt that said _Imagine Dragons,_ jeans and black hunting boots. Straps with throwing knives were around his thighs, a belt with a holster on the back with a hunting knife was around his waist. He pursed his lips.

"Your point?"

"He might be in good shape. He's built like a hunter and has weapons." He wrinkled his nose but watched her stand up straight. "So, Liam." He looked at her curiously.

"Yeah?"

"Are you a demigod?"

"Yeah."

"Cool!" She gave a thumbs up. "Wanna come along with us?" Before Liam could give his answer, Carlos grabbed her arm and pulled her aside again.

"What are you doing?"

"Look, your parents gave us an extra earring and train tickets, and they told me that there might be another demigod joining us. I think he's the one." He frowned deeply.

"Fine…"

"What do you say?" Alyx asked him. Liam blushed, scratching his head.

"Sure… I mean, if you don't mid a twenty-two year old."

"Y-You're twenty-two?" Carlos choked out, grabbing Alyx's hoodie.

"Yeah."

"Wow." Alyx said. "Cool! Now we have an adult here." He tilted his head.

"What do you mean? How old are you two?"

"I'm seventeen."

"And I don't know. I only know my name." Alyx said, lifting up her pack and pulling it on. "So you're with us?" Liam bent down and picked his up, nodding. His nosebleed had stopped and he looked happy that he'd found some people to go on this trip with. Carlos picked up his, mumbling under his breath and pulling it on.

* * *

They took a cab to the train station, Alyx and Liam chatting up a storm. From what he got out of it, Liam was from Alberta, Canada and had lived in a resort town with his mom when suddenly he needed to come down here.

"What about your dad?" Carlos asked. Liam looked at his shoes. They currently sat on a bench, waiting for their train to arrive.

"Um… I never knew my dad. He died before my mom even found out she was pregnant with me."

"Oh." They said simultaneously.

 _"Amtrak train to Denver will arrive in five minutes."_ They waited, and the train pulled in. They were checked for weapons (thankfully the throwing knives made it past) and were led to a train car.

"This is a four bed and one bath car. I hope you like it, and let me know if you need anything." Alyx nodded.

"Thank you." The woman smiled and left. Alyx twirling the key in her fingers then opened the door. The room was a very nice size. It had two bunk beds, _plush_ bunk beds at that, a door leading to a bathroom and a four seat table.

"Wow." Liam muttered. Wow was right. The walls were a sky blue, the floor tile, the comforter's on the beds a pretty teal. Alyx called the bottom bunk on the right, Liam doing the same. He put his bag on his bed and then pulled off his sweater, Alyx doing the same. Liam's eyes widened at the tattoos and scars, his face turning pink.

"Wow." He said again. "Where'd you get those?" Alyx shrugged, lifting her right arm and running her fingers through her hair to smooth it down, her SPQR tattoo showing. Liam pulled off his jacket, laying it on top of his backpack. His arms were extremely ripped, nice biceps and forearms, barely fitting into the sleeves of his shirt.

Alyx whistled. "Archer arms, that's for sure." He blushed.

"You can tell just by looking at me?"

"Oh yeah." She pinched Carlos's butt, making him yelp and jump away. "This one has a runner's body, but he doesn't put much effort into it."

"Hey!" Liam chuckled and slipped his hand into his pocket, pulling out a cube shaped item. Carlos raised his eyebrow as he tossed it to Alyx. She caught it, and as soon as it touched her skin, it transformed.

It sprouted into a sleek, dark grey bow, equipped with a scope and gorgeous gear, it was the definition for hunting.

"Oh my…" Alyx said, looking at it.

"It's beautiful." Carlos said. "My dad would love this!" He watched as Alyx tried it out, pulling it back.

"Wow, this is so nice. Better than some I've seen." Liam smiled and blushed, scratching his neck.

"Well, it's sort of a gift from my mom. It's magic, so it can transform into that cube, perfect for traveling. Watch, let me see." He extended his hand and she handed it back. A quiver appeared on his back as soon as he touched it. "The arrows are different types and are magic enhanced, so I never run out of them." She bounced with excitement.

"What kind of arrows?"

"Explosive, sulfurous, foam-"

"Foam?" He asked.

"Yeah. It's this chemical that explodes when it hits the ground and keeps your opponent in place."

"Cool…" He said, his eyes wide with admiration.

"What else?"

"Fire, ice, um…" He scratched his head. "I can make lightning arrows."

"Lightning arrows?" They said, tilting their heads in sync. He nodded, putting his three fingers on the draw. There was a cackling and an arrow of lightning, _real_ lightning, appeared in the place of an arrow.

"Cool!" Alyx said. "Your bow is kind of like my sword!" The lightning vanished and he tilted his head.

"Sword?" She pulled out Riptide and uncapped it. His eyes widened and he nearly choked but kept his surprise at bay.

"Wow." He said. The bow and quiver disappeared, and he shoved the cube into his pocket. Carlos pouted.

"My weapons don't do that!" He crossed his arms. Alyx laughed, capping Riptide and patting his head. "Freaking giants…" He mumbled. Liam was maybe 6'0'', because he seemed a bit taller than Alyx. They sat down at the table.

"So where did you grow up?" Alyx asked.

"It's a small resort town in Alberta. Oh the scenery is just gorgeous." He sighed dreamily. "It's called Banff." Carlos wrinkled his nose, but not in disgust, more in confusion than anything else.

"Baff?" He asked, confused.

"Banff." Alyx corrected. "It's a beautiful town. I've seen pictures." She sighed. "Oh I would love to go there someday when I get my memory back."

"You have amnesia?" Liam asked, his eyes widening.

"Yeah." Alyx sighed. "I don't know how, but I woke up in this forest and managed to get to the city." She patted her cheek, pouting. "I wish I could remember…" She pouted once more and laid her chin on the table.

"So how come you're going to the east coast?" Carlos asked, leaning back in his chair.

"To Camp Half-Blood."

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._

* * *

 _Okay, this has been on my mind recently and it's making me sad. I may sound whiny and crap, but I really am disappointed in these two stories. I was scared of continuing Guardians of the Nation because I wasn't getting the views I thought I would get, and got sad, that's why I went on such a long hiatus during those weeks. I felt really disappointed and was actually thinking of restarting._

 _If there is something that you don't like, don't be a ghost and view it and then leave. It really bugs me and gets to my mind. Reviews, good reviews, make my day and make me happy that my work is appreciated. I feel like my smuts are more appreciated than these stories._

 _Please, if you like/dislike this story, don't be a ghost._


	10. Chapter 10

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Ten - Liam**

They didn't really seem shocked. More surprised than anything. Alyx laughed, a sweet sound, like a melody to the ears. Her short, punk like hair, the earrings and tattoos made her seem like she just got out of prison, but was sweet and kind. Carlos face palmed at her laugh, mumbling something that he couldn't hear.

"We're going to Camp Half-Blood." Alyx said, putting her chin in her hand. He perked up.

"Cool!"

"What did you do in…" Carlos frowned. "Baff…?"

"Banff." Alyx corrected again. He gave a small glare and huffed, crossing his arms.

"Uh…" He thought. "My mom taught me archery as a kid, and I grew into it. I love it. I never went to public school and was homeschooled."

All of it was true. He grew up with a single mother who loved and cared for him, taught him everything he needed to know about the world and taught him how to fight. Then suddenly she told him that he needed to get to San Francisco and go to Camp Half-Blood, and he passed out (no idea what happened there) and woke up in the tree.

Alyx gasped and brought him out of his thoughts. She got up and went to her bag, bringing out a box. She handed it to him and sat down.

"Carlos's dad gave us a third." He raised an eyebrow and opened it. An earring, silver and polished to perfection, sat in the foam. It was a small hoop, but looked cool nonetheless.

"What does it do?" Growing up surrounded by magic was amazing. His mom taught him how to bend the Mist, the magical barrier that prevented mortals from seeing the truth, and well his bow was enchanted. So this thing had to have some sort of magic… Right?

"Put it on your ear." Alyx said. He raised an eyebrow, and for the first time he noticed Carlos had one on. He picked it up and held it up to his ear. It seemed to have a mind of its own, because as soon as it felt the skin, it clamped down and pierced in. He squeaked a bit.

"Now tap it." She said, staring at him. He felt a bit uncomfortable under her eyes. A silver grey, jade green around the pupil. They reminded him of a cat's eye, staring into your soul and trying to uncover your darkest secrets.

But he tapped it. A mask appeared over his face, over his nose and mouth, going to the other ear. He gasped.

"What?" He mumbled. It was completely breathable and then he jumped at the sound of his own voice. As if it wasn't deep enough, it had a deep and mature sound to it, but also extremely menacing.

Carlos blushed and Alyx smirked, biting her nail before tapping her hoop. The same masked appeared on her face, smaller and more feminine, but hot nonetheless.

"Carlos, put yours on." She said and he barely recognized her voice. He _shivered_ at it. He'd never had a girlfriend, or liked anybody for that matter, but something about her was unusually attractive… Her voice or face? He barely knew her, but for some reason, he felt like he should trust her immediately.

"No." Carlos replied. Alyx tapped her ear and frowned as soon as the mask retracted.

"Why?"

"Because I don't feel like- OW!" He jumped out of his seat, holding his thigh. "For god's sake, Alyx! The hell?!" He rubbed it. She grinned and laughed, making Carlos glare. He tapped the earring and it retracted.

"Are you two together?" He asked. They looked at him, their eyebrows raised.

"Um, no." Carlos said. Alyx snickered.

"If I knew my age and if I had a boyfriend," She reached over and tapped his hip. "I'd so tap this." He slapped her hand, turning away and crossing his arms. Liam frowned.

"But you two are so casual with each other."

"Yeah, because she's already like family." Carlos said, wrinkling his nose, a blush coming to his face.

"What?"

"Nothing." Alyx smirked, getting up and going over to him, whispering something in his ear. He gasped and covered his mouth.

"No!" He said. She laughed and patted his shoulder.

"Anyway, we should order something to eat." At the mention of food, his stomach immediately growled. He hadn't eaten since yesterday.

* * *

They ordered sandwiches and chips (probably not the fanciest) and then Alyx wanted to see how well he fought, hand to hand anyway.

She took off the holster for a dagger, the strap for the throwing knives and her pen, setting them on the table and then pulling off her boots. She tied her hair up into a short ponytail. He did the same, watching like an idiot while Carlos snickered.

"Ready?" She asked. He nodded. There was a space by the wall where it was big enough to fight, so they stood there, Carlos watching at the table, nibbling on the rest of the chips.

"No hurting each other." He said, his sentence muffled by the chip in his mouth. They nodded and circled each other. Her stance was perfect and he began to wonder if she was really amnesic.

He attacked first, giving a left hook. She ducked and went to give a right hook, but he grabbed her fist, making her face go surprised. He took this chance to do a sweep of her legs, but she jumped as soon as she saw his leg twitch. She landed on his shoulders and made him gasp and trip, landing face forward. She jumped off just before he hit the ground.

"Holy." He heard Carlos say. He lifted his head to see Alyx's hand extended toward him, a smile on her face.

"Nice fight." She said. He pouted and took her hand.

"Even though you totally won…" He muttered. She grinned.

"You're pretty good." She poked his stomach. "I'd say you're as good as me."

"Alyx." Carlos warned. She raised her hands defensively.

"It's a compliment!"

* * *

They passed time playing board and card games which Alyx demolished them at.

She set down her cards, her face smug. His jaw dropped and Carlos muttered something that sounded like 'Smartass' but he couldn't be sure. She shuffled the cards and put them back in the box, glancing at the time.

"Wow, ten already?" She stood, stretching. "I'm gonna take a shower." She went into the bathroom, humming happily.

"She's weird." He said, watching Carlos pick up the box and shuffle the cards. He scoffed, adjusting his sitting position.

"You have no idea." He said, handing out seven cards each, then leaning in close, whispering. "Just a warning, she will want to take baths together."

"What?" He felt his face redden.

"The first time she was so nonchalant. She still is." He blushed brightly, dropping his cards and fanning his face cutely. He raised his eyebrow.

"You okay?"

"F-Fine." he said. "Also, she's really handsy."

"Handsy? Why?"

"She'll grope you in places you don't want her to." He turned even redder.

"Has she touched you?" he asked, covering his mouth.

"Y-Yes."

"Where?"

"I'm not telling you-" The bathroom door opened and Alyx came in, butt naked and whistling. He gasped and covered his eyes, turning away,

"Indecency!" Carlos yelped. "Alyx, Liam is probably a virgin! Get dressed now!" After it was safe, Carlos went next, which left them alone. He awkwardly sat there, watching her stretch. She was in good shape. A nice figure, muscular legs perfect for running and jumping, thin yet muscular arms, slender and thin fingers with long nails that were filed to a nice length, and he didn't mean to sound like a pervert, but nice breasts and butt. And her face. Wow. If he wasn't paying attention, he could've mistaken her for an Aphrodite child.

"Um…" He coughed awkwardly. "So how'd you meet?" She smiled and sat down, crossing her legs.

"I was fighting a Canadian when he found me." He leaned back in his chair, holding his hand over his heart, absolutely appalled.

"Excuse me?" She laughed, waving her hands.

"I'm sorry, Laistroygian's migrate from Canada, so I didn't mean to call it that." She frowned, her eyes flickering. "I don't know where I got that from…"

"I-It's okay." He patted his cheek. "I got a bit offended. Continue." She nodded, but her eyes seem clouded. Perhaps she was remembering something?

"Anyway, he took me to his house after I collapsed and his family helped me get back in shape. They let me stay at their house and train Carlos until I said I wanted to go east and wanted to take him with me." She shrugged. "They agreed. Why are you heading east?"

"My mom just told me that I had to go to Camp Half-Blood. I heard a lot about it, but I never was able to visit."

"What do you mean?" He looked down.

"I… I was never supposed to be born." She frowned.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I was an accident. My mom could've had an abortion and moved on with her life, but… I don't know why she kept me." It was true. His mom was a Hunter of Artemis, but he wasn't going to tell them that, since she had instructed him to not reveal his last name or his mom's name. Hunters of Artemis were supposed to have sworn off boys forever and become a maiden forever.

"Because she loves you." He looked up. She had crossed her arms and had a look of displeasure on her face, like she hated people feeling bad about themselves. "She probably loved your dad, didn't want to give you up for whatever reason and raised you because she loves you." He plucked his jeans.

"Think so…?" He asked.

"I know so." He chuckled.

"You're very confident for someone who doesn't have their memory."

"I know, right?" She put her chin in her hand, smiling. "I know I can trust you, Liam."

"Oh?"

"Yes." She looked completely confident. "I know you're not a bad guy." He blushed.

"Thanks." She smiled again. The door opened and Carlos stepped out in a towel, quickly grabbing his pack. Now, Liam wasn't into men or anything, but if he had to choose, Carlos was definitely his type. Light brown skin covered in freckles, slight abs (not really noticeable but you can see he's trying to get them), and a nice lower body. Alyx grinned and got up, going behind him while he searched for clothes.

"This one I'm trying to buff up." She said, grabbing his waist and making him gasp. She pulled his body close to her body, nuzzling his neck.

"A-Alyx!" He cried. "What are you doing?" She grinned and lifted her hands, grabbing his chest.

"See, he's got man boobs." She squeezed, making him gasp and squirm. "Nice and squishy."

"This is totally wrong!" She simply laughed and continued to fondle him, until he finally broke away, making her pout. He was panting and bright red, and he quickly got dressed, Alyx continuing to tease him (in words), making Carlos retort.

Maybe this trip wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._

* * *

 _I love writing Alyx so nonchalant and unashamed about her actions._

 _Review and let me know what you think of them!_


	11. Chapter 11

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven - Liam**

When he woke up the next morning, Carlos and Alyx were making some breakfast with the kitchenette. (Totally forgot to mention that.) He sat up, tiredly rubbing his eyes.

"Hey, Liam." Alyx said without turning around. He raised his eyebrow. He hadn't even said anything. "Was wondering when you were going to wake up." She was dressed like yesterday. Black skinny jeans, a sleeveless skin tight black turtleneck and socks. Her skin seemed to glow. Carlos was next to her, wearing tight jeans, a t-shirt and socks.

"Uh… Yeah…" He slowly got out of bed, rubbing his neck. "How come you didn't wake me?"

"We did." Carlos turned his head, his face unimpressed. "You wouldn't budge." Liam looked away, blushing brightly, his blush overcoming his freckles. He pushed off his covers and stood, stretching.

"I'm going to take a shower."

* * *

After a nice hot shower, he opened the door to see Alyx and Carlos at the table, eating and going over a map.

"Well, finally." Alyx said, not looking up from her map. "Thought you fell asleep again."

"What is with you?" He asked, sitting down.

"What?"

"You're like…" He piled on toast and eggs and bacon. "Do you have a sixth sense or something?" She simply shrugged, shoving a piece of bacon into her mouth.

"Anyway," Carlos said, wiping his fingers on his napkin. "My mom called me and told me she booked us a hotel to rest at since the next train doesn't leave until tomorrow night."

* * *

They arrived in Denver at noon. They double checked their packs, got off the train and headed to the hotel not far from the station.

"Wow." Alyx said as soon as she opened the door. The room had brown carpet, the entrance white tile and a shoe rack that had a sign saying 'Please put your shoes here', a kitchenette, two doors and a couch with a flat screen TV. The walls were white with gold paisley.

"Gee, Mom, overdo it much?" Carlos said, deadpanning. They slipped off their shoes and went through the second door that opened up to a large room with two beds. One door led to the bathroom and the second to a small closet. Alyx went over to the beds and set her pack down, unzipping her sweater and stretching.

Carlos gulped. "There are only two beds."

"Maybe the couch is a pull out." Liam said, setting his pack down then going back into the first room. The two followed, watching him try to pull it out.

"Nope, just a couch." He said, putting the cushions back. Carlos shrunk.

"Um…"

"You can sleep with me." Alyx said. He gave her a glare.

"No, because I know you will grope me." She frowned.

"You were fine with it before." He crossed his arms.

"This is different." He said. "There's another guy here." She snickered and ruffled his curls. Liam simply shrugged.

"Anyway," Alyx said, looking around. "I think we should do get some lunch in a few hours.

* * *

They hung out at the room and then walked down the sidewalk to a diner (that was breakfast, lunch and dinner) that Carlos had said he went to when his family came on a trip here. The diner was beautiful, he had to admit. Beautiful silver grey walls, ancient Greek like pillars and tables with white table cloths. A waitress led them to a table near an elegant piano.

"Let me know if you need anything." She said as she set Alyx's glass down.

"Thank you." They picked up their menu's and looked at it. After deciding what they wanted, they set down their menus and looked around. The diner was pretty packed, families, old couples, young couples and children sat in booths or tables. Alyx smiled slightly at a couple with three kids, closing her eyes and sighing.

"We're going to find your family, Alyx." Carlos said, patting her hand. She smiled and then began to eye the piano. A few kids ran by. She waved at the waitress, who came over.

"Is it okay if I play the piano?" Him and Carlos raised their eyebrows. The waitress looked a bit confused, but she nodded.

"It hasn't been played in a few years, but go ahead." She walked to the register, eyeing her carefully. Alyx got up, unzipping her hoodie and taking it off, making others gape at her. She set it on her chair and went to the piano. She pulled out the seat and sat down, staring at the keys. Carlos looked at her worriedly, biting his nail. He hoped she wouldn't make a fool of herself and play the wrong set.

Then she raised her hands and laid them on the keys and began to play.

Almost immediately, the entire restaurant quieted and he could feel the eyes on her. Carlos relaxed and his eyes softened.

"Chopin, Nocturne in E-flat minor, Op.9, No.2." He mumbled.

"How do you know that?" He blushed brightly and looked away.

"I listened to a lot of piano in middle school." He replied. The music was so… Relaxing and feel good, but he could tell it was like she was playing out her heart. He glanced around the restaurant. People were relaxed and staring into their spouse's eyes, some babies falling asleep. Her fingers moved flawlessly across the keys. Despite her appearance, she suddenly seemed like a goddess, playing beautifully like her life was dedicated to it.

She finished and then just stared at the keys. The restaurant exploded in applause. She blushed and came back to her seat after putting the piano seat back.

"For that, your lunch is on the house!" The waitress said, blushing at the smile she got from Alyx.

"Really? But-"

"Oh, please, please. We haven't heard anything that beautiful in years." She patted Alyx's shoulder and headed back into the kitchen.

"How'd you remember that?" Carlos whispered.

"I…" She frowned. "I'm not sure, but I remember it really well… It just came to me." She scratched her cheek.

"So cool…" Liam said, then smirked at Carlos. "I didn't know you liked that sort of music." Carlos blushed brightly.

"Of course! I-I wanted to play, but I never… I never got around to it…" He looked away shyly.

* * *

They ordered and she left a forty dollar tip, and headed back to the hotel. It was already 7:30 when they got back, so Carlos said he wanted to take a shower right away. When he was about to head into the bathroom, Alyx stopped him.

"Why don't we all take a bath?"

"Um…" Carlos blushed. "Together…? All three of us…?"

"Yeah! It would save water, wouldn't it?"

"I think you're forgetting that we're both guys, you're a girl and I'm twenty-two." Liam pointed out. "It'd be very awkward, don't you think?" She shrugged.

"I don't see anything wrong with it."

"Wow."

A few minutes later, they sat in the rather large bathtub. Carlos didn't look very happy, because he sat in between Alyx's legs and she had her arms around him tightly. He was pressed against her chest, and his face was bright red.

"You're so cute, Carlos…" She said, nuzzling his shoulder.

"Stop." He said. She simply frowned but stopped groping him. She laid her chin on his shoulder, but never pulled her arms away.

"So you're the only child, I'm guessing?" She asked.

"Oh uh, yeah." He scratched his neck. "My mom swore off guys after my dad." He shuffled his bottom. "I never really knew him, but she told me that he was a good man." They nodded, relaxing. Alyx rubbed Carlos's belly, making him wrinkle his nose but he didn't protest. Instead, he leaned further back into her, making her very happy and hug him.

"So, what about you?" Liam asked.

"I have two sisters." Carlos said.

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"And he's the middle child!"

"Shut up!" He said, slightly leaning back a bit hard.

"Ow!" She yelped.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you couldn't get hurt, Ms. Invincible!" He turned around and they began to fight.

"Um…" He said awkwardly. They stopped and looked at him. "What do you mean, invincible?" They stopped and looked at him.

"She can't get hurt." Carlos said.

"Yeah, it's so weird! A few weeks ago some monsters attacked us and one of them tried to claw me, but it just racked off harmlessly! It broke his nails!" She pulled Carlos close, his face lighting up in red at how close he was to her chest. He frowned deeply.

"Invincibility could mean you have bathed in the River Styx." At the stares he got, he looked away. "B-But it's just a theory!"

"Bathed in the River Styx? When could I have possibly done that?" Carlos patted her shoulder.

"When you get your memory back, I'm sure you'll remember."

* * *

He stretched and crawled into bed. Carlos was already in bed, a pillow in between them. He was already asleep, the covers pulled to his neck. His curls smooshed against the pillow and his lashes fluttered against his cheeks with his breathing.

"He's cute, huh?" He turned to see Alyx in the doorway, brushing her teeth. Her hair was combed nicely (due to Carlos chewing her out about it and then combing it for her) and her complexion was flawless. She wore a loose crop top that showed off her mid body, and black shorts. She seemed unreal with her tattoos and scars, but it occurred to him that she was most likely a veteran demigod, but not even his mother had that many scars. He stared until she looked at him and smirked.

"What?" He quickly looked away, blushing.

"Nothing!" He said, quickly crawling into bed. "G-Good night."

"Night, weirdo."

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._

* * *

 _Ah, I love Chopin now... Thanks for reading and as always, leave me what you think!_


	12. Chapter 12

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve - Carlos**

They took a second train to Santa Fe the next night. Then they'd get on a plane to Dallas. At the mention of flying, Liam and Alyx had mixed reactions. Liam shivered, but nodded. Alyx wrinkled her nose.

"I hate heights." Liam muttered.

"Really? Why?" He shrugged.

"I've never flown before and I guess I got the fear from my mom."

"I hate planes period." Alyx crossed her arms, huffing.

"Unless you want to take a cab-"

"Fine, plane it is!" She stood, starting to pace and mumble to herself.

* * *

He laid in bed that night, the train moving but he didn't feel much because of the steady way they were going. The train was overnight, and would arrive early in the morning. He glanced down. Liam was sleeping, snoring softly, his hair disheveled. He noticed faint light illuminating Liam's face. He narrowed his eyes and leaned down, seeing Alyx on her phone.

"Go to sleep!" He hissed. Apparently he startled her because as soon as he told her, she jumped and shoved the phone under the sheets. He glared at the innocent look she gave him.

"Go. To. Sleep." She pouted and pulled out the phone, clicking it off and putting it aside.

"Only if you come sleep with me." He winced.

"Why?"

"Because I want someone to hold on to." He frowned but climbed down, crawling over her and then lying next to her. She happily put her arms around him, pulling his body into hers and nuzzling the back of his neck.

"Don't do anything weird to me while I'm sleeping." She nodded and sighed, rubbing his hip. Her breathing slowed a few minutes later, signaling she was asleep. Her grip around him never lessened, but to be honest he didn't mind. He slightly turned to see her face. The scars didn't distort her beauty at all, like you see in movies, but rather made it enhance. Her lashes were black and long, fluttering against her cheeks with her breathing. Her skin was so… Gorgeously flawless. Tanned, like she'd been in the sun her whole life, and sun-kissed like the way his mom would describe Apollo. The scars, one above her left eyebrow, thin and about the length of Pearl's pinky finger. The second an inch away from her right eye, and the third on her lower cheek. Her black hair was falling in her face, and unlike most people that were regulars from his mom's salon, her hair was actually soft. Velvety almost. Her hair had dried and now had a loose curl that'd he seen during training or lounging around. Pearl mentioned it to her once, which made her grin and ruffle her hair.

Before he knew it, he had turned all the way, his hands pulled to his chest, her arm around his waist to hold him close. He smiled a bit and slowly begin to fall asleep.

He stood in a dimly lit room with a concrete floor, concrete walls and broken down pillars. Steel doors were on the north wall. Eleven people, both men and women sat on the ground in tattered and stained robes, bleeding ichor, the blood of the gods. Their hair had been dirtied and tangled, their beards scraggly and unkempt. Their hands were tied together with steel chains, but the chains were cutting into their wrists horribly. He gulped as he laid his eyes on Hephaestus and Aphrodite. Hopefully they wouldn't sense his presence.

So Alyx's dream _was_ true. The gods had been captured. He bit his lip as he watched Poseidon shuffle his position. Now, he knew that the gods were immortal and never aged, but Poseidon seemed to have aged like five years. All of the gods did in fact.

Then he noticed one missing and nearly scowled.

Hera.

He'd heard the true stories from his parents, never sugarcoating the stories at all. He wrinkled his nose and watched them in misery shuffle and shakily breathe.

"How do you think our grandchildren are faring…?" Aphrodite asked quietly.

"I do not know…" Zeus said. "I only hope they find out that we have been captured." The doors busted open, and a man with slicked back white hair, startling red eyes and pale skin walked in. He wore a nice Italian styled suit with a white shirt and a skinny black tie. He had an arrogant smirk on his face.

"Ah! My dear gods!" He said. His voice sent shivers down Carlos's spine. It was rich and persuasive, similar to charmspeak, but only because his mom told him about it. He'd never actually done it or heard it. It was deep and charming, and had a slight accent to it. Was that British or Australian he heard? He went with British.

Two Laistroygian's flanked him, armed and covered in black metal and black axes.

The gods glared coldly.

"How are you faring in this…" He looked around, wrinkling his nose. "Huh, thought I said to put them in the luxury dungeon."

"That is reserved for Plan J, remember?" One of the giants said, his voice deep and booming.

"Oh, right, right." He gave them a toothy grin. "I'm really sorry to burst in on your conversation, but I thought you'd like to see your grandchild." He said, pointing to Poseidon. He narrowed his sea green eyes, just like Percy Jackson's. The man snapped his fingers and a screen appeared in front of him, startling him a bit.

He teared up and nearly choked.

It showed Alyx in her clothes from the first day she picked him up, smiling and laughing.

"Oh, sweet, innocent Alyx. Has no idea who she is or where she's from." He gave another smile and their horrified faces.

"Where is she!?" Poseidon yelled, straining against his chains. His face was filled with anger and hate. "Tell me where my granddaughter is!"

He sat up, hitting heads with Liam, who yelped and backed away, holding his forehead. He felt something drip onto his hands, and realized he was crying. He heard the bathroom door open.

"Carlos?" Alyx ran over, dressed in jeans and a crop top, her scars and tattoos very visible. He looked at her, wide eyed and in shock. He grabbed her and hugged her tightly, loving the scent of her.

"Don't leave me." He whispered. She laughed slightly.

"Why would I leave you?" He tightened, making her grunt a bit and soften, hugging him back.

"I won't leave you. I promise."

"E-E-Even when you get your memory back?"

"I won't leave you no matter what." He nodded and buried his face into her neck, trembling rather violently. She rubbed his lower back, mumbling reassuring things in his ear.

* * *

He managed to get himself into the bathroom and take a shower. Gods, how embarrassing. Crying in front of Liam, who he barely knew, and sobbing like a brat not wanting his mother to leave him at daycare. He shivered and sniffed, thinking about his dream. He thought of the principal, and Camp Half-Blood.

He bit his lip, not wanting to accept this but…

Was Alyx Percy Jackson's daughter?

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	13. Chapter 13

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen - Carlos**

He got dressed, packed his bag and then headed back into the bathroom, finding Alyx putting on eyeliner. He stared while she did her right eye.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Uh… Are you putting on makeup…?" She capped the tube and nodded.

"Yeah." She said. He decided not to ask any more questions, because really, how can you argue with a simple statement like that?

"You got us lost."

"I did not."

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn't."

"Guys, come on…" Carlos crossed his arms, looking at the barely budding trees and shivering at the nipping of the cold wind. After getting off the train and deciding not to take a cab to the hotel until tomorrow morning, Alyx decided to go a different route and ended them up in a forest.

"We're going to get kidnapped." Liam said nervously. "I heard stories that people lurk and then kidnap kids and kill them." Alyx looked back at him, raising her eyebrow.

"Are you serious? We can defend ourselves, Liam." She patted Carlos's shoulder. "Besides, if anything, they better watch out."

"True." Carlos admitted. Liam made a sound like a whimper but nodded and fidgeted.

"Also," She raised her hand and tapped her earring, her mask appearing over her face. "Put on your masks and hoods." They nodded and put them on. They continued on until he heard rustling in bushes. He inched closer to Liam, grabbing his jacket on instinct. Apparently he heard it too, because he slipped his hand into his pocket. Alyx stiffened, folding up her map and slightly reaching toward her throwing knives. He heard a whistle and something hitting his arm, making him fall against Liam dizzily.

The next thing he knew he was on the ground, Alyx and Liam collapsing next to him. His eyes shut and everything went black.

* * *

When he woke up, he heard female voices and the crunching of dirt. He kept his eyes shut so they didn't decide to interrogate him. He felt a finger touch his sleeve and realized he was tied up and on his knees, his head bowed.

"What should we do with them? The males could be useful, but the woman?" What?

"Hmm…" He heard boots on the sand and a presence in front of him, someone gently touching his eyelid. He tried not to twitch.

"This one could be used nicely. The other one is in well condition, so he could be of service in the heavy lifting."

What in the world were they talking about? The woman in front of him had pleasant voice, yet commanding and strong. She was most likely in her mid-thirties.

"But the woman did put up a good fight before she passed out… Perhaps she could oblige to our agreement and become one of us."

"But shouldn't we contact your sister first?" Another voice asked.

"Yes, go and call her. Tell her we found three demigods that may be valuable to their search." His heart skipped a beat. He remembered his dream of the people in that control room, talking about a quest.

"On it, Your Highness." Who the hell were these people?

"But first…" He felt a finger run over his eyelid and held back a whimper. "I wonder how to take this mask off… I want to see their faces." She slid her fingers dangerously close to his ear, then back to the bridge of his nose.

"Beautiful facial structure." She thought out loud. "Willow, look how beautiful this male is."

"He'd definitely make a good child bearer." He felt Alyx twitch next to him. The woman's other hand slid down his thigh.

"Hmm… As soon as my sister comes and interrogates them, I hope she will let us keep them." The woman stood, and walked away, but he heard a small snap of rope. Apparently the people didn't hear it, so they didn't bother looking.

"Now, let's see this girl." He heard crunching and felt Alyx twitch.

Then she lashed out. He opened his eyes just as Alyx slammed her fist into the woman's face, grabbing another woman's spear that jabbed at her and slamming the butt into her stomach. She threw the spear away and dodged other punches. She grabbed a woman's wrist and punched her and the woman crumbled to the ground. Another woman (he just realized they were all women) went to slam her arm on Alyx's neck, but Alyx turned around and used her arms to block the blow, then swept her leg through the woman's, making her drop and hit her head a bit, knocking her out. Not once she pulled out her sword or dagger, and she didn't reach for her knives. The woman who had gone to call someone appeared and reached for her sword, but Alyx was faster. She ran at a high speed and dodged the woman's punch then slammed her fist into her cheek, sending her back. Then she ran back over and cut their bonds.

"That was awesome." Liam said in awe. She laughed, and they grabbed their packs and ran down the trail.

* * *

He rubbed his wrists, watching Alyx pull her hoodie and gloves off. Surprisingly, they hadn't thought of taking off Alyx's hood to see her hair. Liam rubbed some lotion on his wrists, and then handed the bottle to Carlos.

"Man, those women were scary." He said.

"They touched me inappropriately." Carlos huffed, rubbing it on. It instantly soothed the sores. "I'm so done with that."

"Right?" Alyx said, sitting on the couch, wringing her hands together. She shut her eyes and pressed her forehead against her hands.

"You okay?" He asked, sitting next to her.

"If I knew who I was, I could've probably recognized her…" She sniffed.

"It's not your fault someone took your memory away, Alyx." Liam said, sitting on the coffee table and tilting his head. "Whoever took your memory will pay dearly by my hands."

"Yeah!" Carlos agreed, rubbing her back. "Besides, you made new friends, we're on an adventure and we're going to get your memory back. It's going to be okay." She smiled softly, but her eyes were dark like rain clouds. The green had turned into a mint.

"We'll get your memory back. We'll make sure of it." Liam reached and took her hands, squeezing gently. She squeezed back, the trident on her hand rippling with the motion. She sniffed again, and to their surprise, her eyes filled with tears. She started to cry, messing up her eyeliner, but she probably didn't care. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his tissues, gently pressing it against her nose, her sniffles muffling. She held his wrist but didn't shove him away, rather continued to cry and let out her emotions.

* * *

They ordered room service and then sat on Alyx's claimed bed. Alyx laid her head on his lap while she nibbled on a sandwich, sniffing occasionally. He whispered soft reassuring things in her ear while she cried, and she stopped in under two minutes, which made Liam look at him curiously.

Alyx got up after eating like five sandwiches and went into the bathroom, shutting the door.

"So…" Liam said, wiping his fingers on a napkin. "Where'd you get charmspeak from?" He raised his eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?"

"You have charmspeak."

"I do not."

"Yes, you do. How did you calm Alyx so quickly?"

"Because I was relaxing to her…?" He set his bag of chips down. "Why do you think I have charmspeak?"

"I've heard it before." He sighed.

"Look, I may be grandson of Aphrodite, but I don't have charmspeak." He laid back.

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

And they left it at that.

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	14. Chapter 14

_A little glimpse of what the Argo crew is up to._

 _I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen - Fiona**

She handed Reyna the ice pack, who gently pressed it to Hylla's darkly bruised cheek. The others tended to the other Amazons.

It'd been nearly eight months since Alyx had mysteriously disappeared on the day of her seventeenth birthday. Percy and Annabeth had burst into the dining hall, panicked and in their pajamas, saying that Alyx, Riptide and her dagger were missing. They immediately put out search parties, hoping to find her in the woods or in the city.

They didn't.

They searched everywhere in New York and San Francisco. Even going as far as Seattle to search. They had the Amazons and the Hunters look, and Olympus was notified and told to keep an eye out for Alyx.

But now, they had nearly given up hope.

"Thank you, sister." Hylla said, sighing as the coolness touched her cheek. "I do not know why she took us out. It was all of us versus one."

"She?" Reyna asked.

"Yes." Hylla moved her jaw, wincing. "Two males and a female." Fiona took the canteen of nectar from Leon, who then went over to the Amazon's tech, Ava. She handed it to Hylla, who took it gratefully.

"What were these demigods like?" She asked. Hylla took a small sip and thought for a moment.

"The female was in very good physical shape. One male had a body like Hank, and then the other like Gray." She glanced at her brother, who wrapped an Amazon's arm, talking softly to her. She knew that Alyx missing had taken a toll on him. The pale gold eyes, the bags and his working out proved so. She'd catch him beating up dummies on the deck to get out his anger.

"Hmm…" Reyna said, rubbing her chin. "What did they look like?" Hylla sighed and shook her head.

"I couldn't tell. All three wore masks of high technology that not even Ava could figure out." She looked down, gripping the pack tightly.

"I see…" Reyna said, a bit disappointed. "Did they carry anything on them?"

"Backpacks. We found that one of men had a Celestial Bronze dagger and sword." Reyna nodded.

"Good, good." Hylla glanced at the others nervously.

"But… What disturbed me the most was the female's eyes." Reyna stiffened.

"Do you believe it was Alyx?" She asked.

"I'm not positive. We didn't remove their hoods, so we couldn't see their faces. Their hoods and the masks made them look like Hunters." She bit her lip. "The female's eyes were silver grey with sea green. She had tan skin and wore black eyeliner."

"That's useful." Reyna said. "Not many have grey eyes with green in them."

"I also saw wisps of black hair and they wore black."

"Good, good." Reyna let out the breath she was holding.

"Um…" She heard Ava say nervously behind them. They turned to see Leon grinning, holding a tablet. "I planted tracking devices in their packs when they were out, so Leon has picked up their signal." Leon turned her tablet and showed three red dots in the same location, unmoving.

"I think we should wait until they start moving to track them." Leon said, her voice tired and hoarse from staying up late.

"Thank you, Hylla." Reyna said, hugging her sister. "We will keep you updated." Hylla nodded, handed the canteen back to her and then went to see how her unit was doing. Fiona crossed her arms.

"But not enough to confirm that it was Alyx." She said sourly.

"It's a lead, Fiona." Reyna glanced at Bianca, who handed Hylla a pack, smiling happily at her, but Fiona saw pain behind it. No one could hate Bianca at all. She was simply too sweet and kind to hate, and she was working her best to find her niece. She glanced at Scott next, who helped a few girls load up. After Yuu broke up with him for being gone for too long, he went through a sad phase, plus Alyx missing. Then Robin coped him through it, and one night after Capture the Flag, he grabbed her waist and kissed her in front of the entire camp.

Reyna and the boys had nearly killed him for that.

"We should get back on board and contact Chiron."

* * *

They stood in the control room, everyone tired and the mood didn't seem lifted even with the hope of a lead on Alyx.

Reyna flipped the drachma. "O Fleecy, do me a solid. Show me Chiron at Camp Half-Blood." The mist shimmered, and showed Chiron and Percy in the Big House.

Poor Percy. He seemed to have aged in these months, dark bags under his eyes and always looking sad. He got into the habit of tapping his fingers periodically on the table, like he was doing now. Annabeth was due any day, but she wanted Alyx there so bad.

"Hello, Chiron." Reyna greeted, startling both.

"Oh my!" Chiron said. "You scared me!"

"I apologize."

"Oh no, it's fine, dear." He sighed, his shoulders sagging. He was in his teacher mode, in his wheelchair, a blanket over his legs and in his sweater, his beard nicely trimmed. Percy gave Reyna a weak, sad nod.

"We have troubling concerns." He said. "Mr. D is missing." They collectively flinched.

"That… That is what we are calling about." Reyna said. "When we were in the Sequoias, we had been signaled by the Hunters." Percy sat up, getting more interested, hoping for something about his daughter. "Thalia said that Artemis had been missing, and then a message was delivered to us saying the gods have been captured."

"The gods have been captured?" Chiron said. "How?"

"We're not sure." Phillip piped in. "We believe whoever is behind it is very powerful." Chiron nodded.

"Also," Reyna said. "We may have a lead on Alyx." Percy sat up even more.

"You think so?"

"We're not positive, but Hylla encountered three demigods in Santa Fe. Two males and a female, dressed in black with hoods and masks."

"And?" He asked impatiently.

"Hylla described the female having silver grey with sea green, tan skin and wisps of black hair." Hank and Scott sat up straight. "Ava planted tracking devices on them."

"B-But, you think it might be her?" Percy asked, a piece of his hair falling in his face.

"We have hope, Percy."

"Please, find her." He begged.

"We will." They nodded and the message shut down. Reyna turned, crossing her arms and looking at the table. The dots hadn't moved.

"Rest, everyone. Eat and go rest." Everyone disbanded, but she stayed, watching Reyna look at the board.

It was quiet for a moment.

"You may go too, Fiona."

"Nah, I'm good." She sat in Leon's chair, leaning back. Reyna sighed, sitting down as well.

"I had another dream of Alyx again, this time when she and the triplets were taking sword class." She put her elbow on the table, setting her chin in her hand, and her eyes looked glossy. "I miss her being that little."

"She was only eight." Fiona said. "We were starting too."

"I know, but…" She smiled a bit. "She was such a good role model for my babies. She did everything to follow in Percy's footsteps."

"Reyna," she said. "Alyx, wherever she is, is probably doing the same thing right now. We'll find her, I promise."

"Right…" Reyna said. "I know, I know." She sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

"We'll find her…"

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	15. Chapter 15

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Fifteen - Carlos**

"I hate heights."

"Yes, Alyx, we've established that."

Alyx turned her head away from the window, crossing her arms and pouting. It was a good thing she was back to her old self, only after she begged him to sleep with her. He gave in when she teared up.

"I'm bored." She mumbled.

"Then take a nap." He said, erasing a line.

"But I'm not tired."

"Then do something else."

"Fine fine…" She mumbled, pulling out her notebook and a pencil. Liam simply read, glancing around occasionally.

* * *

The flight was four hours to Dallas, and he passed it drawing. Thirty minutes before they landed, he glanced over at Alyx.

"Oh my gods, my dear!" He looked up to see an elderly lady looking at Alyx's drawing. "What a beautiful drawing!" Did the woman say gods?

"Oh, uh…" Alyx said, a bit startled. "Thank you, ma'am." He eyed Alyx's drawing a gaped a bit. It was so detailed, the eyes looked real. Sure it was black and white, but the image was absolutely gorgeous.

"You must sell it to me!" The woman said. "I collect art!"

"Sorry, I'm not selling it." She closed her notebook after putting her pencil inside, slightly pulling it away when the woman tried to grab it.

"Ma'am, please sit down." The flight attendant said, trying to coax the woman back into her seat. "We will be landing soon."

"Tell her she needs to sell her art to me!" The woman said, causing others to look up with raised eyebrows at the sudden noise. Liam raised his eyebrow, marking his book and closing it.

"I can't do that, ma'am. Please sit down." The woman didn't like being told no. She swiped the notebook out of Alyx's hand, holding it to her chest like it was hers.

"Hey! Give it back!" Alyx stood, her fingers twitching, and for a second, he thought he saw a small flicker of black lightning on her fingertips.

"It's mine!" She said. "She's trying to steal it from me!"

"What?" The flight attendant looked overwhelmed.

"Hey!" Liam said without turning around. "Give the book back or I'll have the security guards arrest you."

"You wouldn't harm an old lady like me!" The woman shrieked. "It's mine!" She hugged the notebook closer. Alyx gritted her teeth. Oh boy. When Alyx got angry, it was not pretty. At the school when the principal tried to kidnap him, he saw her eyes flicker with rage.

Her eyes clouded over, and she mumbled something under her breath, that sounded like Greek. He froze.

 _Reveal._

 _"Dark magic is condemned in the laws. Only the goddesses of Tartarus are allowed to use it."_

The woman shrieked, dropping the book and turning ugly. Her skin turned black, leathery and wrinkled. Her eyes turned black with purple pits. Wings burst out from her back, her hair turning black. A whip appeared in her hand.

Immediately, the plane went into chaos. Liam and him stood up, in shock.

"A-A Kindly One?" Liam said.

"Eh? W-What is she doing here?" He asked, remembering the story that his mother told him about. Percy Jackson had been attacked twice by all three, one of them disguised as his algebra teacher.

"You will pay dearly, Alyx." The Fury hissed. The people who had been seated with her scrambled out, the plane filled with shrieking of terror. He glanced at Alyx, and he saw her tattoos under her bandages glowing a bit. Oh yeah. She wrapped her arms in white bandages so she could take her jacket off earlier that morning, saying if her jacket was ever ripped off, her tattoos wouldn't be revealed and her identity would be kept secret.

Liam cursed.

"I forgot my bow is in my backpack."

"I-It-" He froze as he saw Alyx extend her hand, a purple glow emitting from the cracks of the bandages.

" _Diaskorpízo."_ She said, her voice echoing. He and Liam collectively shivered. The Fury suddenly shrieked and disappeared in a puff of black smoke. The glow vanished and Alyx snapped her fingers, the passengers returning to their seats and acting like nothing happened.

"Please return to your seats." The attendant said.

"You dropped this, miss." A man said, handing Alyx's book back.

"Thank you." She took it and they sat back down, staring at her.

"Did you bend the Mist?" Liam whispered.

"Yeah." She replied, putting it back in her satchel.

"And used magic?" He hissed.

"Yup. If you're going to ask how, I have no idea." She looked at her arms. "I just… It just came to me."

"Freaky…" Liam whispered in his ear. He nodded, his hands trembling. Alyx acted like nothing happened.

* * *

He sat his pack down on his bed, looking around. Alyx pulled off her pack, unzipping her jacket and pulling it off, setting them down and then unwrapping her bandages hastily. The area around her tattoos was red, like they were scorched but healed.

"They've never done that before." She said, sitting and rubbing her hand over them.

"You used dark magic…" Liam said softly. "Only the goddesses like Nyx and Akhyls can use it." She simply shook her head.

"I would tell you where I learned it, but I can't…" She looked down.

"We'll figure it out sooner or later, Al."

* * *

He settled happily into his bed, closing his eyes and falling asleep, hoping for a dreamless night.

But you know how demigod life is.

He stood in an elegant throne room with white marble walls, pillars and black curtains behind a gold throne with obsidian swirls. The floors were made of black tile. The same man from his other dream sat in the throne, impatiently tapping his fingers on the arm rest as a monster gave a report. A man stood next to the man, his hair white and long and tied in a ponytail, dressed in a black suit, black tie and white shirt. His eyes were yellow, like a cat's. His skin was almost white as a sheet.

"Thank you, Takei." The man in the throne said. "You are dismissed." The monster nodded and left. The man sighed and leaned back in his throne.

"I didn't realize leading an army of this size would be troublesome."

"You did it last time, sire." The other man said, handing him a handkerchief.

"But you weren't there." He said sourly. "You were still forming." Forming? Like a monster does? But the guy looked totally human except for his eyes.

"Yes, sire. But you can do it." He sounded sarcastic, but the other guy didn't realize it.

"But the girl is even more powerful now."

"You and Milady have conspired against her. You know her weaknesses."

"Still." The man pouted.

"Sire, I believe it is wise to start the next plan. You have seen their capabilities, and it's time for the first test, is it not?"

"True…" The man sighed and nodded, looking straight at Carlos, sending a shiver down his spine. He really hoped the guy didn't see him.

"Initiate Plan J."

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._

* * *

 _Ah, that is only the beginning of Alyx's magic. I can't wait for the future chapters!_

 _As always, please review and leave me your thoughts! It makes my day when I see a lovely review!_


	16. Chapter 16

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Sixteen - Alyx**

She scanned the area, frowning a bit when she didn't find anything. It was ten in the morning, not too early and the city was bustling already. They split up to cover more ground, and the reason they were doing this was to make sure that no one was following them.

Her stomach growled.

She slouched and hopped down from her place on the tree, pulling off her hood and catching a cab back to the hotel.

She sat at the table inside the restaurant, when Carlos and Liam walked in. They spotted her and walked up, sitting down.

"Find anything?" Carlos asked.

"No." She replied. "You?"

"Nothing. I don't think we were followed."

"You never know, Liam. Be on close watch." They nodded.

They ordered food, Carlos looking outside. Since the hotel room only had two beds, Liam and Carlos shared a bed again. Liam had woken up, woke her up and said that Carlos was having a bad dream. To prove her point, Carlos woke up crying. He was crying so hard he could barely breathe. He wouldn't tell them his dream though.

"You sure you don't want to tell us?" She asked gently.

"I'm sure…" He mumbled, taking the syrup and pouring on his pancakes.

She left him alone.

* * *

After eating, they departed again. She sat on a branch, pouting a bit. She wanted to be in action so bad. Sure yesterday was fun, but she really wanted to fight an actual person. So far the trip had been boring, besides the encounter with those women and the Fury. She frowned deeply, looking at cars passing. Nothing out of the ordinary.

 _Alyx! Help!_

She stiffened, looking around, before hopping down and running across the street quickly, much to a lot of people's displeasure but it was Dallas. They've probably seen weirder things than a girl running across the street in all black. She ran into the alley and climbed a ladder to the roof, pulling on her hood and mask. She scanned the area.

 _Help!_

It was Liam.

She hopped across the rooftops, landing perfectly each time. She finally arrived at Liam's location. She had no idea how, but it was like she had an internal navigation system. She shrunk herself. She was on the roof of a building next to a restaurant, and Liam and a taller guy were. Liam was pinned against the wall, his squirming weakening each second. His hands clawed at the other man's wrist, whose hand was around his throat, squeezing hard.

"Tell me where she is!" The man was yelling. He was dark skinned, with cinnamon brown curls and handsome features. His eyes were pale gold and his body was built like Liam's, maybe a bit more muscular. Liam's struggling weakened more, his hands slowly falling as he begin to lose consciousness. She grabbed a knife and threw it without thinking. It landed through the man's hand on the wall, the man yelling in pain and dropping Liam, grabbing the knife and pulling it out. She hopped down, doing a ninja roll, grabbing the knife and Liam's waist and they dissolved into shadows.

They appeared in the hotel room, Liam collapsing and coughing horribly. She set the knife on the desk, pulling off her hood and mask, taking her jacket off and throwing it onto her bed. She dug through her pack until she pulled out a vile of nectar, rushing over and gently moving his hands away.

"Here, drink." She ordered and he opened his mouth without hesitation. She poured in the right amount, stroking his hair as his panting lessened. The bruising went down, and he leaned into her hand, his eyes fluttering. There was a sound of a click before the door opened, Carlos bursting in.

"What happened?" He asked, rushing over.

"A guy was choking him." She explained shortly, grabbing the cream and a roll of gauze. She gently pulled off his jacket, then rubbed the cream on before wrapping gauze around it. He panted a bit through it all, but didn't protest.

"Thank you…" He managed out.

"It'll take a while for the nectar to kick in fully, so until then, let's rest here."

* * *

She stared down at the pool, families laughing and throwing their kids around.

"Hey." Carlos said. She looked over, seeing him sucking on a cookie.

"Hey." She replied, adjusting her gloves. It was silent except for the squealing down below and Carlos's chewing.

"You know," Carlos said, wiping his hands on his jeans. "When I was twelve, I fell off my bike and dislocated my shoulder and sprained my ankle." She looked over at him.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Had to go to the hospital to get it fixed." He leaned on the rail. "It hurt like hell, but Harper helped me through it." She chuckled and put her cheek against her hand.

"Point is, you remind me of Harper."

"Oh?"

"Just more punk like." He pulled out a picture, handing it to her. She took it. It was of Silena, Charles, Carlos and Pearl, with a beautiful young woman. She had long brown hair tied in a braid, blue eyes like Carlos, and tan skin.

"She went to New York for college at NYU." He said. "She'll be on break in a few weeks."

"Does she go back to San Francisco?"

"She did for winter, but I don't know about spring." He sighed. "I miss her."

"Maybe after I get my memory back, we can go visit her." He raised his eyebrow.

"Um… Family visiting isn't allowed until summer." She shrugged.

"So?" He shook his head.

"You're so weird…"

"Yup." She looked over at Liam, who slept, his breathing ragged. "I don't think he'll be talking for a few days."

"He was choked, of course he's not going to talk." Carlos sat, tapping his foot. He yawned. She smiled and sat down, looking over the rail.

"I wonder what my family is like…"

* * *

She sat in his lap while he combed her hair. Liam nibbled on a soft cookie, ready for bed. His neck was wrapped neatly, but he would have to wear a high collar shirt tomorrow for the car rental.

"How are you feeling?" She asked. He held up a thumb.

"Just rest your voice. In the morning I'll get you another vile of nectar." He nodded and continued to read his book.

"Gods, your hair is so silky…" Carlos muttered, tying it back into a ponytail. She laughed, kicking her feet.

"Thank you."

"Not a compliment."

"Eh, oh well."

* * *

She stared at herself in the mirror the next morning, running her fingers down the SPQR tattoo. What did the seventeen lines mean? Seventeen months? Years? Days? She groaned and grabbed the roll of bandages.

 _Who am I?_

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	17. Chapter 17

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Seventeen - Alyx**

"That's a twenty three hour drive, plus traffic and accidents."

"There's a reason hotels and gas stations were built, sir."

"Ma'am, who would even drive? He's a minor and you seem to not have an ID on you."

"This one of course." She pointed to Liam, who nodded and pulled out his wallet, handing him his driver's license. The dealer looked at the license, then back at Liam before turning to his computer, typing in his date of birth and ID number. He handed the license back.

"Just the three of you?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Okay…" He handed a Chevy key to her. "Please keep it in good condition."

"Will do, sir."

He led them outside to the lot, and gestured to a nice red new year Chevy Sonic.

"It's small, but since there are only three of you, I figured it's practical."

"It's perfect, thank you." She said. The man nodded and headed back inside. Liam pressed unlock and opened the trunk. They put their bags in the back, Alyx grabbing some snacks and drinks before climbing in the front seat, much to Carlos's dismay.

"Aww, I wanted to DJ."

"Not today." She sung, pulling off her sweater. He pouted but took off his sweater. Liam did the same. She stretched and buckled in, crossing her legs. She decided to wear normal shoes instead of her boots, to not attract attention if they were at a gas station or hotel.

* * *

They drove for around three hours until they arrived in Prescott, Arkansas. Prescott was a neat little town, population 3,000. They stopped at a gas station to fuel, a junkyard not far away.

"Hmmm…" She thought. "Hey, Carlos, want to go see if there are some cool things in the junkyard?"

"You're like a cat." He said, glaring. "You're so curious. No, I don't want to go see if there are cool things in the junkyard."

"Why?" He looked nervous and jumpy.

"Because the last story I heard about a junkyard was Percy Jackson." She raised her eyebrow.

"Your point?"

"Someone died because someone took something from the junkyard. It was Hephaestus's junkyard, so it was magical."

"I doubt this one is magic, Carlos. Come on." Liam opened his door and got back in, starting the car. "Want to go to the junkyard?"

"Alyx." Liam looked to where she was pointed and frowned before shaking his head.

"Why not?" He pulled out his pocket sized notebook and wrote something on it, then handed it to her.

"Bad things happen in junkyard." She frowned, pouting.

"But I want to see it!"

"You're acting like a child, Alyx." Carlos said, buckling himself in.

"Just a peak…?" She begged, giving him her puppy dog eyes. She knew this was his weakness. He recoiled, wrinkling his nose.

"Fine! Liam, take us to the junkyard." Liam looked a bit worried, but he nodded and they drove across the street. The junkyard was Scrap'n'Junk, and mountains of scrapped metal and machines shone in the light. They parked near the entrance, a teller coming out from his booth.

"What are kids doing here at this time?" He yawned, scratching his chest.

"We're here to look around for some metal." She said before Carlos could. He raised his eyebrow like he didn't believe it. "What, girls can't be mechanics?"

"I didn't say that…" He said. "But you guys seem like minors."

"He's twenty two." She said. "We're relatives." He frowned deeply.

"Fine, go ahead in."

"Okay." She reached into her pocket to pay.

"No fee."

"What?"

"No fee." She looked at the two, and they shrugged. "You have until eight."

"Thank you." They headed inside, the man grumbling about weird people and heading back to his booth.

* * *

She had such a spree. Bolting from one pile to another, picking up strange pieces of metal and sometimes objects that looked like microwaves or toasters.

"Alyx, get your head in the game. Don't take anything and put the objects back where they came from." Carlos said. "This junkyard might be magic." She pouted, setting down an old flip phone.

"Fine." She said, looking around. "Let's go deeper."

* * *

They walked down dirt paths through a winding maze of piles of metal. As they went deeper, Celestial Bronze weapons and metal scraps begin to show up. Even some earrings or necklaces were found.

"Man, this stuff would make my dad so happy." Carlos said, looking at a sword that melded together with a dagger. "He could make some use of this."

"Knowing your dad I'm pretty sure he'd be ecstatic." She said. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned, seeing Liam pointing to a glowing object a few feet away. She followed him to it, Carlos hopping over. It was a small clay statue, shaped in the form of an Egyptian sarcophagus. It was poor in detail, but it gave off the message that it was carved years ago, and it gave off a pale yellow light.

"What is that?" Carlos asked. Liam made some hand signals, but they stared at him in confusion. He frowned deeply and stomped his foot.

"Um, yeah. I have no idea what you're saying." She reached to pick it up. Carlos grabbed her wrist.

"Don't take anything and don't touch it! It could be really bad!" She frowned.

"I'm pretty sure it's harmless, Carlos." She said. He frowned, but let go. She picked it up, smiling.

"See? Harmless."

Then the burning started.

 _"Aww! She looks just like you two!"_

 _"Doesn't she?"_

 _"Hey, come here, cutie."_

 _"Carter, I advise you not to scare her anymore then you already have."_

 _"I didn't scare her!"_

 _"It must have been your face, dear brother."_

 _"And some things never change."_

 _"Anyway. Dear, come out and say hi. They're magicians."_

 _"Should you really be telling our six year old daughter they can harness magic?"_

 _"She's like me. She can learn things early."_

 _"Come here, dearie. We won't hurt you."_

 _"Is it true you can use magic…?"_

 _"Yup! And we can show you a few spells!"_

 _"Cool!"_

She threw the statue as far away as she could, hearing a clang as it landed, trembling violently.

"Are you okay?" Carlos asked, gently laying his hands on hers.

"I-I heard voices." They raised their eyebrows, not really believing it.

"Are you sure?"

"Y-Yes! Three women and two men, plus a child's." She looked at her hand where she held the statue. Her glove or skin wasn't burnt, yet she felt hot. Liam walked away, disappearing before coming back with the statue. He extended it toward her.

"It might have information about your past." Carlos said. "Use it." She frowned deeply, but took it. The burning started again.

 _~Flashback, eleven years ago~_

 _A little girl and a man sat on a couch, the girl in his lap. The man had dark skin, dark brown curls and dark brown eyes and wore a simple t-shirt and jeans. The girl had black curls in a ponytail, startling grey eyes and olive skin. The man had flames bouncing around on his fingertips._

 _"Cool…" The girl said in amazement. "It's so pretty!"_

 _"I can teach you it. We can all teach you it."_

 _"But only if it's okay with her parents." A beautiful woman came in view with Arabian features, dark skin, golden eyes and shoulder length black hair sat down with them, her belly big._

 _"Well duh." The man said, the flames dying and then he straightened the girl's hair nervously. "Where are they anyway?"_

 _"Having tea with Amos."_

 _"Ah." He gently ran his fingers through the girl's curls, and she crawled to the woman, laying her head on her belly gently._

 _"Are you really going to have a baby, Mrs. Kane?"_

 _"Yes." The woman smiled and rubbed her back. "She or he will be happy to know that they have a good role model to look up to in the near future." The girl giggled and happily kicked her feet._

 _"I'm going to be a good cousin!" She jumped off the couch and ran around._

"Alyx!" She jumped, the statue falling. Carlos grabbed it and pulled her behind him.

"We have a big problem!" She turned and paled.

Standing there, right behind them, was a ten foot giant.

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	18. Chapter 18

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Eighteen - Carlos**

The look that Alyx got on her face when she held the statue scared the living daylights out of him. Her eyes paled almost to white, and glazed over. Her lips turned into a frown.

And then she snapped out of it and threw the statue across the yard. Liam retrieved it and gave it back, and then she did it again. While she was out of it, the ground rumbled, like an earthquake. The giant rose from the pile, covered in Celestial Bronze, steel and all kinds of appliances.

After he shook her out of her stupor, she looked at the giant and visibly paled.

"Run!" He yelled, grabbing her wrist and bolting. Liam ran next to him, pale as well. They dove behind a small hill of crates, panting. Liam shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out his bow, the cube transforming into the elegant bow. His quiver appeared on his back. Alyx pulled out Riptide and he pulled out his own sword.

"I wish my sword could turn into something…" He pouted as Alyx uncapped the pen.

"Really? Now is the time to wish that?" She asked, shoving the statue into her pocket. The giant looked around for them, letting out a low rumble when he didn't find them. Liam pulled out a regular arrow, loading it and cocking it. He stared at the giant for a moment before letting go, the arrow seeming to go in a right place.

It bounced off harmlessly as soon as it hit the metal. Liam paled, pouting.

"Keep me covered." Alyx said.

"Wait, what?" She ran around as she let out a battle cry, running towards the giant at full speed.

"Oh my gods, she is so stupid." He face palmed, Liam nodding along. Alyx dodged the giant's punches and swings of his legs, but eventually she would wear out.

"Alyx, you can't fight him yourself!" She looked over, and he immediately regretted saying anything. The giant swing his fist, and she bowling into a pile.

"Alyx!" He cried and gave up their location. The giant turned toward them, raising his fist to slam into them.

"Uh oh…" He said, grabbing Liam's sleeve. Liam grabbed his waist and bolted out of the giant's punch, and Carlos squeezed his eyes shut until he realized he wasn't dead. He opened his eyes and looked around, trembling a bit.

He nearly screamed.

They hovered above the giant's head.

"You can fly?!" He yelped. Liam blushed brightly and nodded. He looked down and saw a figure standing in the rumble.

"Lower me." Liam lowered him down, keeping him away from Alyx and from the giant. "I meant to Alyx." He frowned and shook his head. He crossed his arms. Liam moved out of the way, pointing at her. He followed his finger, and what he saw shocked him.

She stood, unscathed, black lightning sparking around her. Riptide was nowhere to be found. A shadow was over her face. The giant took notice, and turned toward her. He bit his lip, trying to come up with a plan, and froze.

It felt like the simulator he took in his sophomore year of high school. It was a battle simulator and you drove this giant metal lion and it would aim at the target with precision.

That's what it felt like now. The aim appeared in his vision and spots on the giant appeared on his field of vision.

"His weak points…" He whispered. Liam raised his eyebrow. He coughed.

"What…" He managed out.

"Alyx!" He yelled and she looked over. He was startled at her features. She had taken off her sweater in the car before they came inside the junkyard, and the faint glow like the other day was under her bandages. Her face had purple veins on her face, bright like a light.

"I have a plan! Distract it until Liam takes the shot!" She nodded and pulled out her dagger, running at full speed. He grabbed Liam's arm and pointed at the spots.

"His hips, knees, and ribs are wide open. That's where you need to shoot." Liam raised his eyebrow, and looked up, saw where he was pointing and nodded, pulling out an explosive arrow. He pulled it back, his eyes concentrated. Alyx was doing all sorts of crazy flips and rolls to avoid the giant's punches and swings, sometimes jumping onto his arms and running up his arms, driving her dagger into him.

Liam let the arrow fly. It landed in his ribs, Alyx jumping off. There was a beeping noise and an explosion made the giant roar and tilt. Liam loaded another and shot, this time in his knee, and again in his hip. The explosions happened simultaneously and the giant fell sideways, electricity sparking on him. Alyx landed in front of them, sheathing her dagger and tilting her head.

"Nice shot." She said, turning to them. The weird veins had vanished and the glowing had stopped. She patted both pockets and sighed.

"Both are in. Let's get out of here-"

"Hold!" He looked up to see a giant ship lowering. They immediately pulled on their masks, but their hoods were inside the car.

"Stay there!" It was Leon's voice, the girl that they saw at AutoZone and in his dream. The ship landed, a ramp lowering and people pouring down it. They huddled close around Alyx, because… Because…

"What?" She hissed quietly.

"I don't know." He hissed back. "I just feel like we need to protect you."

"I do not need protecting." He scowled, glaring as a girl came close. She held an Imperial Gold spear, dressed in jeans, boots and a t-shirt that said SPQR on it.

Liam quickly grabbed their waists, making them yelp. He launched off the ground, the people gasping, one yelling:

"Phillip! Get him!" Alyx looked over his shoulder and he did the same. A dark skinned, dark haired guy was advancing on them, carrying an Imperial Gold sword.

"Um, go faster!" He yelped. Liam nodded and bolted, and they landed at their car. He set them down and they loaded in.

"Drive!" Alyx yelped. Liam put the key in the ignition and turned it on, pulling out of the parking lot. "Let me have your bow!" He pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to her, putting his foot on the gas. She opened the sun roof and popped out, pulling an arrow from the quiver, which was thankfully a regular one. She pulled it back, aiming at the guy. She narrowed her eyes, and he faltered for a second, giving her a chance. She let go and it flew, landing in his shoulder. He heard a yell of pain, and looked back, seeing him roll on the road, the arrow sticking out of his shoulder. She came down, the bow reverting back into its cube sized. They reverted their masks, panting.

* * *

They drove all night, only stopping for gas once. Eventually they made it into Nashville. Apparently the receptionist took pity on them because they looked extremely exhausted, which they were, and she gave them the largest suite.

He opened the door, his eyes widening.

"Wow." Alyx said.

Wow was right. The walls were blue and gold paisley, the floors a dark brown carpet and a large flat screen TV. Three king sized beds were in the bedroom, and the bathroom was big as well. A plush couch was in the living room and it had a kitchenette. Liam immediately went to the nearest bed, set his backpack down and laid down, smacking his lips together.

"Let's take a bath and get to bed."

* * *

They took a bath together, not once mentioning the weird glowing or the people after them. They washed each other, ate a small snack since the fight had taken a lot out of them, and Alyx rewrapped Liam's throat and gave him a dose of nectar.

"You should be able to talk in the morning." She said. "Or afternoon." She narrowed her eyes then patted his chest. "Get some rest, Liam. You did great today." He gave her a smile and happily crawled into bed, hugging his pillow close and immediately falling asleep. He crawled into bed, snuggling down under the covers and watching her go to her bed, her weapons laid out along with the statue. She sat cross legged, staring at them with sadness and longing. He knew that look. He saw it every time he looked in the mirror.

"We'll get your family back, Alyx." He said. She nodded, waving her hand and they disappeared. He looked at her in amazement. "When did you learn that?" She shrugged, and the worry lines appeared on her face.

"Sleep, okay?" She nodded and snuggled under the covers, her eyes closing.

* * *

When he woke up, Alyx was pacing, Liam on his bed and tiredly rubbing his eyes like the way Pearl use to do when she was a toddler. He sat up.

"What's wrong?" He asked sleepily.

"The statue is gone!"

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	19. Chapter 19

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Nineteen - Liam**

Being choked by an extremely scary guy, attacked by a giant, weird people out to get him, a Fury and women who wanted them as slaves… Yeah, he was definitely a demigod. And well finding that weird little statue.

He watched tiredly as Alyx paced, muttering to herself.

"That was the only thing connecting to my past…" She sat on Carlos's bed, pouting. Carlos crawled to her, his shorts and shirt pulled up. His curls were flattened against his head.

"We'll make it to New York and get your memory back, Al." He said sleepily, laying his head on her shoulder. "We're going to make it…" She nodded and turned, pulling him onto her lap.

"Yeah, besides, when you get your full memory, you can show us how you learned that magic." He said, scratching his bandages. She stared at him, and Carlos moved his head to look at him with half closed eyes.

"You can speak?" He nodded.

"I managed to today." He coughed a bit. "Still a bit sore though." Carlos, on instinct, wrapped his arms around Alyx's neck, his legs wrapping around her waist. Alyx smirked, forgetting about the statue and wrapping her arms around his waist, lowering her hands onto his butt.

"I quite like this position." She said. He rolled his eyes and laid his head against her chest.

"Shut up and let me sleep. You're warm." He said tiredly.

"So are you…" She furrowed her eyebrows and laid her hand on his forehead. "Really warm." She looked up at him worriedly.

"Is he sick?" He got up and went over to feel for himself. She was right. His whole face was hot, and his cheeks had red blush to them. He breathed through his mouth.

"Oh no…" Alyx said. She stood, keeping him steady before laying him back into his spot, pulling up the covers. "I'm going to go get some medicine down the road from the store. Keep an eye on him." She grabbed jeans, pulling them on and then grabbing a sweater to hide her tattoos. She pulled on her gloves and went out the door. He followed, watching her grab a roll of money.

"I'll be back, okay?" He nodded and opened the door for her.

"Be careful." She nodded and left.

* * *

He decided to take a shower and check his weapons. He shut the first aid kit from rewrapping his neck (which was so damn difficult) and stretched, squeezing his eyes shut.

He felt something pointy press against his spine.

"Move and I'll run it through you." He slowly lowered his hands like he would do with a cop, seeing a pretty girl behind him. Her blue eyes were like storm clouds, filled with anger. Her blonde hair was styled nicely in a braid. She grabbed his shoulder and pushed him out. Carlos was tied up, still asleep, but he could tell his fever was worsening. He was now panting and the rope around his wrists were cutting into his skin, so that didn't help. An older woman kneeled in front of him. She was probably in her thirties, with Puerto Rican features. She had black hair braided down her back, wore a purple shirt that said #1 Praetor on the front, jeans and combat boots. Her hand was on his forehead.

"Hey, get away from him!" He yelled, startling her. She stood, clenching her fists and glaring coldly. The Chinese looking girl and another girl stood guard at the doors, glaring coldly at him. The Chinese girl handed the woman an arrow, _his_ arrow.

"This is your arrow, yes?" She asked, twirling it in between her fingers.

"What's it to you?" He scowled. She didn't like his tone. She slapped him across the face, making him jerk and groan. He heard Carlos whimper.

"Liam…?" He asked groggily. "What's going on?" The woman kneeled in front of him again, cupping his chin gently. Carlos shivered. He really hoped he wouldn't say Alyx's name…

"He's sick with a cold, possibly delirious. We should take him."

"Oh hell no, you are not taking him!" He yelled, slamming his foot into the girl's, making her yelp and remove her point from his back. The other two girls lunged with their weapons, but he dodged and grabbed the Chinese girl's spear, making her freeze. He shoved her back, ducked from a swing from a sword and swept her legs out from under her. She fell with a heavy thud. He turned to the woman, but she shot something at him. Something stuck in his arm, and he fell to his knees, panting.

"W-What the hell is this?" He said, grabbing the dart and pulling it out.

"A muscle relaxant." She stood in front of him. "Now," she kneeled in front of him, grabbing his chin. "Tell me where she is."

"Who-"

"Look out!" The woman turned her head just in time to see Alyx slam into her, sending her into the wall. Alyx, thankfully, had her mask on, her eyes fiery with rage.

"I leave for one second and you guys get attacked! By girls no less!" She scolded, pressing her finger tips to his forehead. His body returned and he stood.

"Not my fault." He muttered. She ran to Carlos, pulling out a knife and slicing his bonds. He mumbled something incoherently, and she pulled him onto her back.

"Where are our packs?" She mouthed 'Hidden in the inventory' and he didn't question it. They ran out, taking the stairs and running down the flights.

"I already checked us out. Did you leave anything?"

"No."

"Good, because I got your kit." He nodded and opened the entrance doors, where the people from earlier were, weapons out and looking angry. The guy that had chased them down was nowhere to be seen.

Alyx took a step back, and they heard the doors open.

"Stop where you are, and hand your weapons over." He bit his lip. He had to try that thing again.

 _I have a plan._ He thought.

 _Yeah? Hurry up then._ Her voice rang in his head.

 _Put Carlos's mask on._ She slowly reached up, gently tapping his earring. The mask sealed over his face. One girl gasped, muttering to herself about something. He tapped his and pulled out his bow, grabbing the foam, knock out gas and smoke arrows. He lined them up together and before they could react, he shot at their feet. Immediately they exploded, all of them coughing. He turned and shot the same arrows, the four coughing. The foam sealed over them.

They ran to the car, loaded themselves in and took off. Alyx pulled off her mask as well as Carlos's, panting. She snapped her fingers and a THANK YOU bag appeared in her hand. She pulled out a box, her hands trembling. She opened it finally and popped a pill into Carlos's mouth, then grabbed a water bottle and made him drink. Then she buckled him in (leaving some room to let him sleep on her lap) and buckled herself in, stretching her arms out on the seat backs.

"How long does that stuff last?"

"The knock out gas? An hour." She nodded, putting her hand in the bag and then handing him some sour gummy worms.

"You mentioned you liked these." He smiled.

"Thanks. Um, can you open them for me?" She chuckled, opening the package and handing them back.

* * *

They drove until he got tired and pulled into Christiansburg, leaning over and patting her leg. She opened her eyes, stretching. She unbuckled Carlos and herself, then pulled the backpack out of thin air. She dug inside the pack before pulling out jeans. She slipped them on, put the backpack back inside wherever it was, grabbed the plastic bag, put that away too, before getting out and lifting him onto her back. He moaned.

"Has his fever lowered at all?" He asked, gently pressing his hand against his forehead. He was still extremely hot.

"No…" She sighed, shutting the door. "Let's check in." He nodded, locking the car and heading in. The receptionist frowned at Carlos.

"Are you traveling?" She asked.

"Yes." He replied. She looked at her computer.

"Since it's a late check in, there's a room big enough for you three." She handed them a key. "If you need anything, check back with me."

"Thank you."

* * *

The hotel was on the outskirts of the city, and was in the middle of nowhere at the moment. There was a gas station, a burger place and a strip mall with a few restaurants and stores. He shut the curtains and turned to her. She was rummaging through Carlos's pack.

"What's up?" He asked.

"Getting him some close. I'm going to bathe him and then see if he wants to eat anything." He nodded, sitting down on his claimed bed and scratching his head.

"Did they say anything to you?" She asked, looking at him. He looked down.

"They wanted to take Carlos to care for him." He glanced at him, who was curled up, panting softly. "They were mad about the arrow incident, and then asked where 'she' is." She raised her eyebrow, causing him to shrug.

"She? The guy who choked you said the same thing, right?" He flinched a bit but nodded. She cupped her chin, thinking for a moment. Carlos moaned, snapping her out of it.

"Al…?" He mumbled. "I don't feel good…" She gently cupped his cheek.

"I know, Carlos… You're running a bit of a fever. I believe you might have gotten something from the junkyard." He sniffled and nodded. She gently picked him up again and carried him into the bathroom, sitting him on the toilet and setting the clothes on the counter. She pulled off her shirt, then her shoes.

"Can you strip?" She asked. He lifted his hands, his entire body shaking. He shook his head when he tried his pants. She nodded, unbuttoning his pants and gently pulling them off. She pulled off his underwear then his shirt.

"Can you start the water?" She asked. He nodded and went over, turning it on. After it was filled, she lifted him and set him in.

He took a step back, watching.

He knew immediately that he needed to protect these two with his life.

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	20. Chapter 20

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty - Liam**

They stayed at the hotel for about a day. Carlos's fevered lowered slowly, but eventually, he was back to normal.

And by normal, he meant by practically bouncing off the walls in excitement like a child on a sugar high. He grabbed Alyx's shirt while she packed up, buzzing with happiness.

"Are we going to fight monsters?"

"Um…" She raised her eyebrow. "No, we're going to New York to get to Camp Half-Blood."

"But-!"

"The last time we fought a monster was the giant in the junkyard and you got sick from it. We're avoiding as many monsters as we can." He pouted and slumped against her, his cheek squishing against her arm. She pulled out a cookie and hovered it at his mouth. He grabbed it with his mouth and munched on it while she folded some clothes. He smiled, watching in amusement as she let him climb onto her back and hang off like a baby koala.

"You two are weird." He said. Alyx simply laughed, zipping her pack. Carlos laid his head on her shoulder, yawning, cookie crumbs around his mouth. He was getting tired, thankfully. Alyx gently backed up and let him slide off onto the bed.

* * *

A few hours passed, and Carlos and him happily cuddled up to her. They watched TV or played card games, and after getting tired of being beaten by her every single time, they simply put on a movie.

She got up halfway through, stretching.

"What are you doing?" Carlos asked, sitting up and watching her pull on her boots.

"I'm going to scout the area. I did once this morning, but I'm just feeling cautious today."

"Want us to go with you?" She shook her head.

"No, stay here. Be on guard. Those people might come back." They nodded. After he told Carlos about the incident, he had turned red and covered his face, muttering over and over to himself that he was pathetic. It took Alyx like five times to calm him down, and hugged him tightly when he started crying.

He made his bed while Carlos nibbled on a banana, staring at his weapons in front of him.

"I wish my weapons could turn into something small." He said, throwing the skin away. He sat by him, looking at the black gems at the bottom of the hilts. He reached out and touched them gently.

"What are these-" They glowed suddenly, and slowly began to shrink. His sword turned into a ring, and his dagger turned into an armlet.

"Wow, thanks Mom and Dad for not telling me." He picked them up and slid them on. He chuckled and leaned back, closing his eyes.

"What's your mom like?" Carlos asked. He let out a small laugh.

"My mom? She's amazing. She taught me everything I need to know to surviving being a demigod." He smiled. "She's the greatest hunter I know. She knows how to handle every weapon, can bend the Mist, and has a magical shield."

"She sounds fantastic." He nodded.

"She is." Carlos smiled back at his grin, and crossed his legs. He was so… Beautiful. With the black curls gently curling against his temple and cheeks, blue eyes that were like the sky, and tan skin covered in freckles. Not to mention his body. Alyx had built him good. He had runner's legs, thick and big. His calves were muscled. His hips were unusually big for a boy as well as his butt. Not to mention (and he wasn't being a pervert or anything) but when they had to share a bed, his leg brushed against his and he felt the smooth skin of Carlos. Soft and smooth, moisturized obviously.

He looked away at Carlos's innocent expression.

 _Hey, Liam? Can you come help me? I'm sort of trapped…_

He raised his eyebrow. _By who?_

 _The people that have been chasing us… They're like, really close, so do you mind hurrying?_

 _Yeah, be right there._

He stood, pulling on his boots, making Carlos look at him questionably.

"Alyx is in trouble." He perked up, standing. "No, stay here."

"No. Alyx is my friend too, I'm coming to help." He said. Liam stared at him with an unwavering look, before he finally sighed.

"Fine." He perked up, tapping his earring. The mask sealed over his face. He did the same thing, opening the balcony doors and jumping onto the roof next door. He immediately saw her. The ship that they flew on was parked in the lot a few buildings away, covered in Celestial Bronze painted to look like wood. They all surrounded her, holding their weapons, and he could see a few trying to advance. Carlos was about to go in, but he grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back down.

"What?" He hissed.

"Hold on. I think she's going to do something." He raised his eyebrow but followed his eyes. She had her mask on, her hood off, her hair whipping with the small breeze. Clouds thundered and shone with the lightning, and he knew this was perfect weather for him, but he wanted to see her fighting style. He pulled out binoculars, handing them to Carlos, who took it. He saw perfectly, mostly because he had hunter vision.

He saw her eyes narrow, and the color matched the clouds, the green bright.

"Put down your mask. We don't want to hurt you." He heard the Chinese girl say. Alyx glared. She hadn't pulled out Riptide or her dagger, or touched her knives whatsoever. She had her hands in her pockets. She looked extremely hot with the punk styled hair, scars, the black clothes and the way she was built.

One took a small step forward, thrusting her spear to her. Alyx was quick, pulling her hands out of her pockets and grabbing the spear shaft, breaking it. The girl's eyes widened, and Alyx took advantage of the surprised faces of the people, so she lunged, swinging her legs and sweeping the girl's legs out from under her. A guy ran at her at a high speed, but she turned around, slamming her hand into his chest and sending him flying. He landed on the ground, coughing, the wind knocked out of him. She took down the youths quickly, and she and the older woman stared each other down.

"Who are you?" The woman asked. Wrinkle lines appeared on Alyx's face, indicating she was smiling.

"No one you probably know." Since her mask changed her voice into a low, husky, seductive tone, the woman's eyebrows furrowed deeply, gripping her sword tightly.

"You carry one weapon. A dagger."

"Yes, but I have two others, plus my knives." She patted her knives casually.

"You fight like an Amazon, Roman and Greek combined. Like my friend's daughter."

"Oh?"

"Yes."

"Hm. Good luck finding her."

"Have you seen her? You must be a demigod, right?"

"Yes."

"Then have you seen Alyx Jackson?"

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	21. Chapter 21

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-One - Liam**

He could feel the tension rolling off her in waves. She crossed her arms, glaring, her eyes turning even darker.

"Never heard the name." She said, trying to keeping her voice balanced. The woman frowned, and seemed to age a few years. She lowered her sword, the tip touching the asphalt.

"Y-You're not h-her…?" The guy with the super speed coughed out. His shoulders sagged as he noticed their faces for the first time. They all had looks of sadness, fear and tiredness. Even Alyx noticed it, her eyes slightly softening.

"No, I'm afraid not." She lunged at the woman, slamming her hand into her stomach, making her gasp, her eyes going wide. The woman collapsed on the ground, coughing, curling up and holding her stomach. Alyx looked down at her, before stepping over her and running back to the hotel. They looked at each other and climbed back onto the balcony, stepping in just as she came into the bedroom.

"Let's go."

* * *

They drove all night, Alyx staring out the window the whole time. She had pinned it back in a ponytail, strands falling in her face, a shadow over her eyes. She wouldn't make eye contact with him. Her eyes matched the rain clouds.

Was her real name Alyx Jackson? Like _Percy Jackson_ or someone else? He glanced at her bandages, wondering about the SPQR thing.

 _"What are the other half-bloods like?" He remembered asking a few years ago. His mom thought for a moment._

 _"There's a half-blood named Percy Jackson. He's son of Poseidon." She tapped a picture on the wall. "He's pretty much the most powerful half-blood to exist."_

 _"But you're Zeus's daughter." She laughed._

 _"Yeah, so? I'm powerful, but Percy…" She frowned deeply. "Percy is different. He uses his power for good, while I… I almost betrayed them."_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"It was years ago, baby." She patted his head, her hand warm and rough from years of working with the Hunt._

 _"But…" He looked down. "Does he have any kids?"_

 _"One." She smiled. "A daughter."_

"Hey, Liam!" He jumped. Carlos gave him a slight glare, now in the front seat.

"What? What?" He said. Carlos raised his eyebrow.

"You okay? You zoned out." He leaned back.

"S-Sorry…" He said. He glanced in the mirror, to see Alyx laying down, her eyes shut, her breathing soft.

"She fell asleep a few minutes ago." Liam nodded.

* * *

They drove for a few more hours, before he got tired and pulled into a motel with a gas station and convenience store. He turned to wake her up, only to see her asleep, drooling, in a rather questioning position.

"She drools?" He asked.

"Yup." Carlos replied. "When um…" He blushed, his tan cheeks erupting in red. "I would crawl into her bed to sleep with her for her warmth, and she would drool a lot."

"Hm." He reached over and patted her face. "Hey, Al, wake up." She moaned and swatted his hand.

"Few more minutes…"

"We're going into a hotel room, you weirdo. Come on." She opened her eyes, mumbling something before sitting up, running her hand through her hair. She blinked sleepily, in a groggy daze.

* * *

They checked in and got their room. It was rather nice for a motel in the middle of nowhere. Large beds, a big living room, a kitchenette and a bathroom big enough for a full size family.

He took a nap, and then got something to eat. He nibbled on a sandwich as he watched Alyx teach Carlos the way to hold his sword. He leaned back in his seat, watching carefully. She had taken off her gloves and jacket, her hair pinned up in a sloppy ponytail. Her bangs fell against the side of her face cutely and her face was gentle and patient. Her fingers were long, slender and thin, her nails nicely shaped and trimmed. She touched Carlos's body with gentleness and ease, like she has done this a million times. She slid her fingers up his arms to lift them, or down his sides to straighten his posture.

"I'm sure Camp Half-Blood has expert swordsmen's." She said, watching the sword shrink back into a ring. Carlos blushed and rubbed his neck.

"When you get your memory back, I only want you to teach me." He mumbled. She put her hand over her heart, her eyes teary.

"Oh, I'm so honored." He rolled his eyes.

"Never mind."

"No!" She grabbed his waist. "I'll teach you everything I know when I get my memory back! I promise!" He patted her hand.

"Okay, okay." Alyx happily nuzzled his neck.

"Mm… Did you get the apple soap…?" She murmured, rubbing his hips. He turned red and squirmed.

"Y-Yes."

"Smells good…" She mumbled.

"H-How can you smell it? It's scentless to demigods." She shrugged.

"I guess I have a strong nose." Carlos managed to break away, going over to him and grabbing a chip off his plate. Alyx pouted, grabbing her gloves and slipping them on. She pulled on her sweater.

"You want to come scout the area? I don't trust those people." They shrugged.

"Sure." They pulled on their jackets and walked with her out to the road. It was a nice day, at least to him. It was cloudy, the roads and dirt wet from the recent rain. Even now it was drizzling. He breathed in the air, sighing happily.

"So…" Carlos said, looking at him with a smirk. "Who is your dad?"

"My dad?"

"Yeah."

"Um… Who is your dad?" He crossed his arms.

"My dad is a son of Hephaestus and my mom is a daughter of Aphrodite."

"That's why you're feminine?"

"Shut up!" He raised his eyes.

"Sorry, sorry." He said. "My dad was a son of Hermes."

"Oh? So that's why you're really quiet?"

"Yeah." He blushed. "My mom always told me that I looked like him."

"How old was your dad when he died?" Alyx asked in the front as she looked around.

"Sixteen." Carlos looked horrified.

"What?"

"Yeah…" He looked down. "My mom was fifteen when she found out she was pregnant with me. A week after his death, she found out she was pregnant."

"Geez, dude. You've have a rough life, yeah?"

"Eh, not really. He was a good man, but…" He shrugged. "He just was in with the bad guys, you know? Felt betrayed by the gods and turned." Alyx turned, her eyebrow raised.

"Betrayed?" She asked.

"Yeah." He scratched his head. "Apparently, years before I was even born, the gods just popped out babies without a second thought. Fell in love with mortals for a brief second and popped out a kid, then left to go after another." He crossed his arms. She looked confused.

"But…" She frowned deeply, looking down.

"Al?" Carlos asked, gently taking her hand. "What's wrong-"

"Oh my, this is a treat…" She whipped around, keeping Carlos behind her.

What stood there sort of freaked him out. The… Creature was like a humanoid snake. Covered in red and white scales from head to toe, with a long tail connected to a human top, with piercing yellow eyes and long fangs.

"An empousai?" Carlos asked. The snake laughed.

"No, of course not." It was a male, with a voice like Dracula. "Those foolish women are only needed for their charmspeak. Master could care less about them." He slithered forward. "Taking your heads will be quiet the prize."

"Our heads?" Alyx stiffened. "Are you working for that guy like Andrew?" He sneered.

"Andrew was a fool to try and seduce that one." He flicked his tongue, eyeing Carlos closely. "Although his sayings were true."

"Creep!" Carlos yelled. The snake did not like being called creep. He hissed and lunged for Alyx's neck, but his claws bounced off harmlessly. He wailed and slithered back, holding his claws. He panted, glaring at Alyx.

"I forgot that he mentioned you bathed in the River Styx…" She stiffened more.

"So I did?" He cursed under his breath, the snake glaring. They pulled out their weapons, making him recoil.

"Celestial Bronze. Tch, I despise nothing more." Alyx grinned, lunging toward him and slicing upward, but the snake was usually fast. He dodged and made Alyx do a barrel roll.

"No, no." He said, waving his finger. "If you touch me, I will explode and make them go boom."

"Explode?" She asked.

"Oh, I love Master! He bred me for explosion purposes!"

"…Doesn't that mean you die?" Carlos asked, raising his eyebrow. The snake blinked.

"I reform."

"Yeah but that could be decades until you reform." Liam said. The snake blinked again before snarling.

"Fine! If that's what it takes, I'm sure Master will use his magic to make the process faster!" He raised his hands to the sky. "Oh, Master! Bestow me your strength!" He began to glow, like a bomb. Alyx's eyes widened.

"Run!" She shrieked, but it was too late. The snake exploded.

* * *

He lifted his head, panting, his ears ringing. His bow had returned to its cube size, and flesh laid around him. He slowly turned onto his back, his body aching. Alyx was laying feet away, not moving. And Carlos…

He stared in horror.

Laying about two feet away from his feet, was Carlos, face down, his sword knocked away. His shirt and sweater had a huge burn hole, but he couldn't see his back.

"C-Carlos…?" He barely heard his own voice. He managed to crawl over and nearly threw up at the sight of his back.

He was so going to pay back whoever this Master was, and he was sure he was not going to regret it.

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	22. Chapter 22

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Two -Liam**

Carlos had a third degree burn on his back, nearly covering his entire back. He was unconscious yet his face was twisted with pain. Pieces of the snake thing were lying around him.

"O-Ow… Definitely felt that one…" He turned to see Alyx getting up, holding Riptide in its pen form, rubbing her arm. Thankfully, the explosion didn't seem to harm her. Her clothes were ripped on the knees and elbows, but she looked unharmed. She spotted them and gasped, running over.

"What happened?" She asked, kneeling down, her face twisting with horror.

"H-He was closest to the explosion…" He said, holding his side.

"Are you hurt?" She asked, grabbing his wrist. She pulled his wrist away and lifted his shirt, revealing a dark bruise with some blisters around it.

"I'm fine." He said. "We need to attend to him."

* * *

It took them a few minutes to figure out how to carry him without touching his back, but they finally figured it out and hauled him to the hotel.

"He's pretty light for a guy." He commented as she slid in the key. She gave a laugh and opened the door.

"Yeah, but he's got meat on him." They walked in. She guided him to the bed the way she wanted him to, and gently pulled Carlos off before laying him down on his stomach. He let out a moan of pain, his face twisting with pain. He pulled off his jacket and winced a bit before pulling off his boots. She grabbed into thin air and pulled out her backpack.

"Oh, that's where it went." He said. She nodded, her face serious as she dug through it. She pulled out the first aid kit, putting the pack aside and heading over. She set the box down and pulled off her jacket and gloves. She headed into the bathroom, coming back out with a couple of towels.

"Lift him gently." She told him. He nodded and did what she asked, making Carlos give a whimper. She slid the towels under before opening the kit and pulling out gloves and scissors. She slipped on the gloves before cutting off the rest of his shirt to pull it off. Apparently when he hit the ground, he also scraped up his knees and elbows pretty bad. Darkening bruises were everywhere. She stared for a moment, before reaching in her pack again and pulling out a couple of viles of nectar. They were shaped like potion bottles, small and filled with shiny gold liquid. She set them down then bent over to Carlos's face, gently kissing his forehead before standing up straight, taking a breath.

"Keep him still." He nodded once again, gently holding his thigh and shoulder. She took one bottle and uncorked it, the sweet smell of his mom's friend's brownies wafting through his nose. She took a breath before slowly pouring it on the burn.

He let out a heart wrenching scream.

The spot healed but she stopped as soon as he did scream. His eyes snapped open, his blue orbs pale in color.

"N-No!" He cried, gripping the pillow tightly.

"Carlos, you have a bad burn on your back." She soothed, stroking his hair gently. "I have to treat it-"

"I-I don't care! It hurts!" He sobbed as tears filled his eyes. She pulled off her gloves and stroked his face, murmuring soft things that he couldn't quite hear. He hiccupped.

"N-No nectar… P-Peel off the dead skin, apply the ointment my mom gave you and w-wrap it up…" He whispered. She bit her lip, looking at the small healed part before nodding. She grabbed another pair of gloves and slipped them on, staring at the skin before extending her hand and mumbling something in Greek. Carlos relaxed, his eyes shutting, tears slipping down his face in the process.

"What did you do?"

"I… I think I put him under a sleeping spell?" She shrugged. He didn't push any further. She dug in the kit and pulled out tweezers.

* * *

It took an hour. She peeled off all of the dead skin, which made him really nauseous because some scabs and parts bled horribly, pus leaked and the area was red and pulsing.

Good news is that he only grunted and whimpered through it all. He guessed maybe with the sleeping spell it came with a pain reliever.

"Help me get him into the bath." She said, pulling off her gloves and throwing them. He nodded. They lifted him and carried him into the bathroom, carefully stripping him and filling the tub with water. He held Carlos while she searched for something in the kit, frowning at his body. His wounds were a bit worse than they had thought. His knees, elbows and forearms had deep scrapes. The bruises made him whimper in his induced sleep if they touched them accidentally. His cheek had a horrible scrape and bruise.

Alyx came in, holding a small bottle like a nectar bottle, but filled with green leaves that looked like catnip. She opened it and shook it, the leaves landing on the water and turning it a soft shade of greenish blue.

"Put him in." She said. "Gently." He nodded, standing and slowly lowering him in. Carlos grunted, gritting his teeth and gripping his shirt sleeve tightly. Alyx pulled off her pants and socks, grabbing a wash cloth and sitting on the edge, washing his legs. He grabbed a new one and started on his arms, then went on his hair.

It took them a few minutes to wash his entire body, and they used a muscle relaxant cream (he had no idea where she got that from) on his body, put cooling lotion, and then rubbed on a healing cream on the scrapes on his arms and face and stuff. She went out and grabbed the kit before coming back in, taking out a white tube with Greek lettering on it and large cotton swabs. He held him on his lap while she gently rolled on green cream, soft pants coming from Carlos in the process, making him uncomfortable. She rolled the swab over his naval and he let out a moan.

"Umm…" He blushed. "This seems very weird…" Alyx nodded.

"His back is one of his sensitive parts, that's why he hurts so much." She finished with the cream, capping the tube and throwing the swabs away. She pulled out gauze patches and laid them on, grabbing adhesive tape.

"Hold it." He held the end where she wanted and watched her wrap him up carefully. After she did that, she moved on to his scraps, laying patch bandages on. Then she pulled out his backpack from thin air (still trying to figure out how she does that) and pulled out some clothes. She slid them on and then dried his hair before combing it. He stood and carried him into the bedroom, laying him down and Alyx pulling the covers over him.

"He's so…" He tried to find a word without sounding like a pervert. "Um…"

"Cute?"

"Yeah." She nodded and put her hands on her hips.

"Let me see that wound." He held up his hands.

"It's okay, really." She glared, her eyes a cutting steel. "Okay, okay…" He lifted his shoulder and she laid her fingers against his wound making him hiss a bit. She frowned, grabbed a vial of nectar and handed it to him.

"Here." She said. "Drink it." He nodded and opened it taking a small swig. The area immediately healed. She poked his abs.

"Not bad." She said, smirking. "I'm going to take a shower."

* * *

He fiddled around with his bow while she took a shower, glancing at Carlos every now and then. They laid him on his side, his arm tucked under the pillow, his face calm and relaxed. He was glad after all he'd been through.

"He's been protected his whole life." He turned his head to see her wringing out her hair, her eyes on Carlos.

"Yeah?"

"He was protected by the soap and a magical barrier around his house." She went back into the bathroom, coming back and grabbing a pair of socks, sitting down on the bed.

"Are his parents veterans like my mom?" She nodded.

"They came from Camp Half-Blood, but they haven't been in nearly…" She pulled on her socks, thinking. "Twenty three years?"

"Wow." He mumbled, putting his bow away.

"Night, Liam." She gave a smile that made his heart flutter. "Thanks for helping me today."

"No problem."

* * *

He came out of the bathroom, seeing Alyx holding Carlos close to her chest, stroking his hair as she murmured quietly. Carlos's arms were wrapped around her neck, his face hidden in her collarbone. He smiled and crawled into bed, shutting off the light.

He hoped they would be safe for the rest of the way.

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	23. Chapter 23

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Three - Carlos**

The first thing he felt when he woke up was the warmth, followed by soft motions of breathing and smooth skin. He opened his neck to meet the smooth, beautiful tan skin of Alyx. He stared at her neck, before tilting his head up. She was sleeping, obviously, her breathing soft and rhythmic. Strands of hair fell in her face and her face was calm and content, long black eyelashes fluttering against her cheeks as she breathed. It was rather relaxing.

Then he realized he couldn't move his body.

"A-Alyx…?" He coughed out, his voice hoarse. She grunted a bit before opening her eyes, her hand in his hair kneading his head.

"Hey, you're awake…" He nodded a tiny bit.

"I can't feel anything…" She yawned, pulling him a bit closer.

"Yeah, you have a muscle relaxant cream on…" He gently pushed against her chest.

"Like an aphrodisiac?"

"No, dummy. It soothes the soreness in your muscles…" He relaxed into her chest, closing his eyes. "Sleep for a few more hours, okay…?" He nodded, taking a breath and slowly falling asleep.

* * *

When he woke up again, her warmth was gone. He shot up, panicked that she had been kidnapped or something, but relaxed when he saw her stretching, her back to him, Liam nowhere to be seen, although the shower was running. Alyx was dressed for combat, yet still casual. She wore black skinny jeans that would make any man cat call to her, a tight tank top and black socks, her hair nicely combed and parted the way she wanted. Riptide, her dagger and her knife strap laid on the desk. The three points of the tattoo on her back poked out, glowing a blue, but it was faint. She hadn't wrapped her arms yet, so the swirling tattoos glowed a faint dark purple. He blinked and the light was gone. She turned, jumping a bit when she saw him staring, but ran to him.

"You're awake and moving!"

"Uh…" He said stupidly, and the pain snapped him out of it. He lurched forward, grabbing her arms and crying out.

"Never mind." She said. "Liam!" He panted, tears filling his eyes. The pain was _horrendous._ Similar to when he fell and dislocated his shoulder and they had to put it back in place, but probably three times the pain. It burned and ached, and he clawed her arms, whining in pain. The door opened and Liam burst in, in boxer briefs and a t-shirt, his eyes wide.

"What's wrong?" He bolted over, his hands trembling.

"Oh, you know, he just wanted a hug. What do you think?" She gently laid him on his stomach, which hurt even more, and pulled up his shirt. "Breathe, Carlos, breathe…" She soothed, making him slowly relax. He gripped the pillow, whimpering and shutting his eyes, the pain increasing the longer they waited. He heard shuffling, before he felt Liam's hand on his neck.

"I don't mean this in a wrong way, okay…?" He felt his other hand right below his butt, but he could have cared less about it, since the pain overcame any other feeling.

"It hurts!" He cried again. He probably sounded like a baby, but he doubted they cared. He heard scissors snipping, and the wrapping around his chest lessened. Then he heard a sickening peel and a gag.

"Liam, try not to puke all over his back. We're trying to heal him, not make him worse."

"Al…" He mumbled, starting to lose consciousness. "I don't feel so good…" She gently patted his butt.

"Shh… I'm going to strip you to put you in the water, okay? Bear with me." He nodded and felt his pants and underwear being pulled off, then being lifted and carried into the bathroom.

* * *

He blacked out when he touched the water, so he didn't remember much.

When he woke up, he was lying in bed, on his side, the covers gently pulled over him. Liam sat on his bed, tweaking with his bow, dressed for the day. He looked exhausted, like he didn't sleep well or was kept up most of the night.

"Liam…?" He mumbled. He looked over and smiled a bit.

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

"Can't move…"

"Yeah, we put that muscle relaxant cream on you again." He let his bow go back to its cube form. "Alyx is scouting the area. She'll be-" The door burst open and she bolted in, closing it and locking it. She narrowed her eyes as her mask went back into earring form.

"We need to leave." Her eyes were fiery. "Like, right now.

"Um, why?" Liam asked, standing.

"We're surrounded."

"By who?" He asked, trying to sit up. His body protested, and he collapsed, sighing in pain and frustration.

"The women who captured us in the forest in Santa Fe, and those people from the other day." She went to their packs, digging through them, her eyebrows furrowed.

"What?" Liam asked, going over.

"Checking if we're missing-" She stiffened, and pulled out a small round device.

"What is that? A chip?"

"Tracking device…" She scowled. "That's how they kept finding us." She went through the other two and pulled out the same kinds, both glowing blue. She set them down, pulling out one of his sweaters.

He turned red at their incredulous looks.

"Is… Is this one of mine?" She asked, sniffing the sweater. He buried his face into his pillow.

"Just kill me now…!" He felt her hand on his neck and squeaked.

"Come on, help me get it on." He felt Liam gently lift him into a bridal style hold, and Alyx slipping the sweater on him, chuckling at his confused face.

"What, it's cute that you like my oversized sweaters." She zipped it up and tapped his earring, making it seal over his face.

"What's your plan?"

She grinned.

"Oh no."

* * *

A few minutes later, he was on Liam's back, Liam's hands gripping his knees, his arms around his neck to hold on. Alyx was nowhere to be seen. He knew what she meant by surrounded. Small tents were set up for monitoring the hotel building, and he could see a few people keeping guard, holding swords or bows. He saw the woman from the other day with the woman that captured them in Santa Fe, the guy who had chased them in the junkyard by her, his chocolate skin pale and his eyes extremely tired. His shoulder was bandaged.

 _I'm raising the barrier now._ Her voice rang in his head.

 _Okay._ Liam replied. A purple dome slowly began to rise, sealing over the parking lot and building, and Liam took the cue and ran down the stairs and to the car, glancing nervously at the people. Thankfully, the people hadn't noticed the barrier or them, and were still looking at the building. Liam opened the back door, gently sliding him in and buckling him up and then getting in the front seat. Liam turned on the car and drove to Alyx's location. She hopped in, sweat on her forehead from holding the barrier.

They drove for a few minutes, and she slumped in her seat finally, taking a breath.

"I think it's down." She said, pulling her phone out. She turned it on and was watching a video.

"What is that?" He asked, pouting that he couldn't move. She showed it to him. It was a live video of their hotel room.

"I had some free time and managed to make a small camera." He stared at her.

"Excuse me, what?" She shrugged.

"It wasn't that hard." Her eyes glinted with glee. "I mean, the structure design was difficult but I finally managed to make it out of this metal-"

The hotel room door busted open, the people from the other day filing in. Upon not finding them, they all groaned.

"Are you serious?!" One complained.

"How did they get away?" Another asked. The older woman stared at the wall for a moment, before her eye caught the camera.

"Um…" He said. "Can she see it?"

"No." She walked up to it and picked up one of the tracking devices.

"They found out that we were tracking them."

"Of course they did…" One guy sighed.

"But how?" The Chinese girl said, crossing her arms, obviously annoyed. "I'm not trying to be rude, but I honestly think the boys are stupid."

Liam and Carlos glared at the screen.

"Excuse me." Liam said, trying to grab the phone. "I don't enjoy being called stupid."

"She's probably frustrated." Alyx said, shutting off the phone and snapping her fingers. The camera appeared in her hand and she slipped it into her pants.

"Let's hope we get to New York soon."

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	24. Chapter 24

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Four - Alyx**

They didn't take any risks, so they drove all night. At one point when they were fueling and after eating some snacks, she'd crawled into the back with Carlos to let him sleep on her.

She was trying to fall back asleep when she felt that they stopped. She opened her eyes slowly and blinked a bit. They were parked in a parking lot in front of a really nice hotel, the sun beginning to rise. The city was already waking up. She unbuckled herself, opening the door and stepping out. She was amazed by the architecture. Skyscrapers towered over her like giants, the roads wet and slightly covered in snow. The sunrise was beautiful with oranges and reds.

"We'll go to camp tomorrow." She said immediately. Liam looked at her.

"Um, okay." He looked at Carlos. "But, we should let him rest more."

"I'm going to get him something to eat and then feed him some ambrosia or something." She took him out, pulling him into her arms bridal style, his head lolling onto her chest. He let out a small sigh and twitched.

They checked in and then she changed his bandages. She took a shower afterwards, taking her time because the water felt good and it gave her time to think.

She massaged her scalp, staring at the water going in the drain. She really wondered what Camp Half-Blood was like now. Silena and Charles always told her stories during dinner or helping around the house of the strawberry fields, the Big House, the activities and the campers. She wondered what everything looked like now, since it has been years since Silena and Charles have been. She wondered how many veteran demigods were there and if they had children or not.

She walked out into the bedroom to see Liam and Carlos playing a game of cards. She quietly dressed while watching them, and they had yet to notice because they were so focused on their game. She combed her hair, watching as Carlos whooped in triumph.

"Ha! I beat you again!" He said happily. Liam smiled, scratching his cheek and stretching.

"I'm going to get some food for us, okay?" She said, making them jump.

"Damn, woman." Liam said, holding his chest. "Ninja freak…"

"Thank you." She said as she grabbed the roll of bandages. She wrapped her arms good, before grabbing her gloves and slipping them on.

"What are you getting?"

"Fast food?" She shrugged. "Something cheap probably." She grabbed a small roll of money and slipped it in her pocket, grabbing Riptide and her sweater.

"I'll be back soon."

* * *

She walked down the street, her hands in her sweater pockets, her hood over her head. The city was already bustling. Cars, trucks and taxis went up and down the street, people walked by her without a glance. New Yorkers probably have seen some weirder things then a girl in all black with scars on her face.

She took a left, thinking that there was another street but turned in an alley instead.

"Oh." She mumbled, turning. "Wrong direct-"

Something hit her head and she fell, her vision swimming before going black.

* * *

When she woke up, her head throbbed like she had a headache. She blinked, trying to sit up but froze when she realized she was tied down. She looked to the side, seeing a man in a very nice suit tapping a syringe with green liquid in it. She started to squirm, catching the attention of the man. He ran over.

"Please do not move." He said in a worried tone. She scowled.

"Who the hell are you? Where am I? What is that?" She recoiled when he reached to take her arm.

"This is gorgon's blood. I am trying to heal your memory." He said. She glared.

"I don't trust you."

"Of course you don't." He sighed, lowering the needle and glancing at the door worriedly. "Please, I don't have much time. You need your memory back." She glared even more.

"No, really? I was just going to storm into Camp Half-Blood and be like 'hey guys, how's it going? I don't know who you are so I'm just going to get to know you again!'" He frowned deeply at her sarcasm. He closed his eyes.

"I am only trying to help you, not harm you." She huffed, turning her head away. "I don't think you'd believe me if I told you but… I was made to serve you." She narrowed her eyes and turned her head back to him.

"What do you mean?"

"My people and I were bred in order to serve you."

"Okay… That sounds fake, but okay…"

"It is true." He looked nervously at the door again. "Please, you must get your memory back. It is crucial. Your friends are in trouble."

* * *

You know that horrible, piercing headache that feels like a needle pricking every part of your brain? Yeah, that's how getting her memory back felt. After agreeing to the gorgon's blood, he stuck it in her arm and then she passed out. She woke up in the same alley she got hit in the head, and ran back to the hotel.

Everything came rushing back as soon as she opened her eyes. _Everything._ As in, from her birth up until the night she was kidnapped and memory washed. Memories played through her head like a movie.

 _"She's so cute! She looks just like you both!" Her mother laughed. Annabeth Chase was beautiful, even though she'd just given birth. Grey eyes sparkled with joy, her hair pinned back in a messy bun, strands falling in her face._

 _"I hope she doesn't inherit any of our powers…"_

She nearly slipped as it started to rain.

 _"You know the Fates." Hazel sighed. "You never know." Her belly was big, and she looked miserable. Bags were under her eyes, her hair was sloppily done and she sat like she was about to burst._

 _"Are you going to have more?" Frank asked, peering over Percy's shoulder._

 _"You never know. I am a strong swimmer after all." Everyone in the room collectively groaned._

 _"I feel bad for you." Piper said, gently stroking Jason's hand. "What are you going to name her? She is daughter of two legends." Annabeth blinked a bit, before looking down at the bundle in her arms._

 _"Alyx. Protector of humanity."_

 _"Cute!"_

She slammed open the door, and paled.

Cards laid on the bed, sprawled out. A lamp was knocked over.

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	25. Chapter 25

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Five - Carlos**

He did not like the Chinese girl.

First, while waiting for Alyx to come back with food, five people just appeared in their room and grabbed them. Liam didn't go down without a fight, and neither than did he. The girl who grabbed him was strong, so he was pretty much a mouse to her. He squirmed even though his back screamed with pain, and even managed to elbow her in the nose, much to her displeasure. But they put rags over their noses and knocked them out, so he succumbed to unconsciousness.

And now he glared her down.

He sat on a chair beside Liam, who was unconscious still, tied with ropes. Thankfully, they hadn't located their weapons. He felt naked in front of them all. He counted eighteen, all of them glaring at them with cold stares.

Chiron sat in his wheelchair, looking older and sad. A map with red X's were on the table, a dagger jabbed into it.

"Alright, listen here, you little twerp." His heart broke a bit. Clarisse La Rue, his mom's old best friend, stared at him. Her hair was pulled in a ponytail, still choppy and she still had her headband that his mom used to gush about. Her skin was tan, a scar on her face. She wore a sleeveless Camp Half-Blood shirt, a black vest, jeans and combat boots. A ring was on her left ring finger, which surprised him.

Then the door opened and a god walked in.

Okay, over exaggeration, but seriously. He recognized him immediately, considering his parents talked about him nonstop when he was little. He was older, with windblown black hair and green eyes that were dark with sadness. He had bags under his eyes, and his tan skin looked like it lost shade. He sat down heavily in the chair in front of him, intertwining his hands and staring at him with a blank stare.

Awkwardly, he took in the others. He already knew who the woman and the other kids were, but there were five he didn't recognize. There was a tall buff man with Chinese features, short black hair and light skin. Next to him sat a pretty black girl with tight cinnamon curls, dark brown skin and beautiful gold eyes. She held a baby in her arms, patting her back gently. A man stood behind a beautiful dark skinned woman, the man having blond hair, blue eyes and light skin with a scar on his lip. His glasses gave off a glint. The woman had braided brown hair with a band like a Cherokee band, thin and with a feather hanging by her face. Her eyes shifted from color, but currently were on a light blue. A short thin man that looked like Leon stood next to the blond man, his hair in wild brown curls, amber eyes and dark skin with some grease on his face and clothes. He looked like he just came from working on a car.

He turned his eyes back to Percy's, who still stared at him blankly. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Tell me where my daughter is."

"Hm?"

"My daughter. Tell me where she is." He shrugged.

"I don't know who you are talking about." Percy's eyes narrowed.

"Alyx Jackson. Do you know who that is?" So his suspicions were true. He didn't really think about it at first when he met her in the park, but as soon as he saw Riptide, his worries and concerns grew. Not to mention the SPQR, trident and owl tattoos.

"Noooo…" He said. He spotted movement in the rafters, and flicked his eyes up. His heart leapt into his throat, his stomach churning. Alyx put her finger to her mouth, her mask and hood on, the only thing visible were her eyes and fingers. Her eyes were bright with the fire in the furnace, and reminded him almost like a cat.

The Chinese guy looked up to where he was looking, but Alyx was gone. He narrowed his eyes but turned his head back to him.

"Really?" Percy stood, glaring down at him.

"So, like, can you let us go? I answered all of your questions." His back was screaming in pain, and he felt like he was going to erupt in fire.

"No." He felt something grab onto the back of his shirt, and the next thing he knew he was on top of his bed in the hotel.

He heard a something unsheathe and his bonds snapping and sat up, watching Alyx cut Liam's with shaky hands, when was surprising. She put her dagger away, pulled off her mask and hood and collapsed onto the ground on her knees, panting. Liam sat up immediately, kneeling beside her and rubbing her back. He got up slowly, running over and hugging her tightly as she panted, tears in her eyes. She was sweating out of panic, and he gently stroked her hair in comfort.

"Breathe, breathe…" Liam said gently, making her try to obey.

"In my bag are paper bags, get one." He told Liam, who got up and ran over to his pack, digging through it before pulling one out and running back over, opening it and gently putting it to her mouth.

"Breathe." She obeyed, gripping Liam's wrist while she took breaths. Slowly, her trembling ceased and her body slumped against his, her breathing broken yet calmer. Liam slowly pulled the bag away, glancing at him with concern.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly. She sniffled, a tear falling down her cheek, her eyes pale.

"S-Sort of…" She hiccupped.

"What happened? You didn't come back for a while."

"I was kidnapped…" She wiped her face with her sleeve. "A guy… Um…" She swallowed, looking down.

"What?" Liam asked, tilting his head. He really hoped she was okay. If someone laid a finger on her, so help-

"I got my memory back…"

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._

* * *

 _Short chapter but gets to the point, right?_

 _Stay tuned and review!_


	26. Chapter 26

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Six - Carlos**

Oh.

"You did…?" Liam said, taking her hand and rubbing it. "You remember everything?"

"My name is Alyx Perseus Jackson… I'm seventeen and daughter of Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase." She sat up, both of them staring at her with wide eyes.

"The legend, Percy Jackson, had a kid." He said. Liam laughed.

"My mom told me stories about him having a daughter just like him, but she never told me her name!" He said. "Since we're all sharing our full names," he turned to him, "why don't you say yours?"

"M-Mine…?" He gulped, Alyx blinking at him cutely. "Fine… My name is Carlos Be-" She cleared her throat.

"Full name."

"Carlos Mio Beckendorf! Happy?" Liam blinked, snickered, then froze.

"Wait… As in Charles Beckendorf?" He nodded, making his eyes widen. "And your mother-"

"Is Silena Beauregard." He stared at him, his jaw open.

"So they're alive."

"Yeah."

"Okay, so maybe this won't be as shocking…" He blushed. "My mom is Thalia Grace and my dad is Luke Castellan." Alyx stared at him, her eyes wide.

"What?"

"Yeah…" He chuckled nervously. She reached up, grabbing his face.

"Are you serious?"

"Uh… Yeah."

"Holy sh-"

"Language!" He hit her back, making her squeak. It was quiet for a few minutes before he winced a bit.

"How's your back?" She asked, wiping her eyes again to clear excess tears. Now that she mentioned it, he felt the pain erupt in his back. He yelped and fell on her, gripping her shirt tightly.

"H-Hurts!" Liam got up and ran to the backpack, pulling out a vial of nectar, and running back, handing her the vial. She popped the cork and held it to his lips, making him drink slowly.

"If we have to fight, we're not taking any chances." He hiccupped, nodding and savoring the taste of his mom's homemade cookies. Warm and sweet, and gooey… The pain diminished slowly, and he felt his wound closing. He shivered as she ran her fingers through his hair, her nails gently scraping against his scalp.

"So… Shall we go?"

* * *

They packed up whatever was messy, fixed anything broken and packed up, then checked out. They caught a cab and drove for about an hour, both him and Liam snacking on some jerky on the way. She was quiet, staring out the window as they passed cars and people, her eyes blank. She was probably thinking of her home and parents. He too wondered how his parents were doing. He glanced at Liam, who looked pale with the dim light. Rain pattered against the windshield and windows, the clouds dark grey.

He wondered what these people were like when they weren't hell bent on finding Alyx. He wondered how they were going to react when they showed up with their long lost daughter.

They pulled up to the address, the hill leading to Thalia's tree saturated in rain. The driver frowned.

"There's nothing here, ma'am. Are you sure this is the right address?"

"Yes, sir." She handed him a wad of cash and he decided not to argue anymore. They got out, pulling on their hoods and trudging up the hill.

He expected to see a beautiful area with peace, children laughing and running around. No, instead they got absolute chaos.

Ares children ran around, giving orders with the Athena cabin, archers from the Apollo cabin loading their quivers. He spotted Percy looking around frantically, before the dark skinned woman appeared and led him away.

And then he spotted the giant snake.

It was coming up from the lake, and he had to say he would never touch a snake again.

"Put on your masks." She ordered, her mask sealing over her face. "I already have a plan."

He hopped from one cabin to the other, Liam in his position. Thankfully, the snake was extremely slow, so it was slithering up the shore slowly.

"That is a big snake." He mumbled. It had the features of a python and cobra. It had metal plates all down from its head to its tail, the edge of its tail a weird singular claw. It had two frills on the sides of its head like a cobra, folding in and out. Its eyes were a sharp pink. Its scales were red and white, the plates on its back dark grey.

He saw the older woman from their trip, giving orders to people in armor. She waved her arm to the right, showing a SPQR tattoo like Alyx's, but hers had a torch and a sword intersecting with each other. She had a ton of lines, probably twenty three or something. In history, he'd read about the Roman Empire, that SPQR meant Senatus Populusque Romanus. It took him a long time to figure it out, with his dyslexia and all. Her hair was neatly braided, and she was dressed for combat in armor and a purple cape.

 _That's Reyna. She's praetor of New Rome, or Camp Jupiter, the Roman camp._ Alyx's voice rang in his head.

 _There are Roman half-bloods, too?_

 _You bet. The guy who choked Liam is Roman._ She sighed dreamily. _I can't wait to see Hank again._

 _What? Why?_ Liam sounded offended.

 _He's my boyfriend._

"Reyna!" He heard a voice. He looked and saw the Chinese guy.

 _That's Frank, the second praetor. He's Hank's dad._

Yay. He watched everybody move around.

"Get the children and pregnant women to the Big House." He heard her tell Frank. Frank nodded and then gave orders to do so. She turned to look at the snake, narrowing her eyes.

 _Carlos, do your thing._

 _My thing?_

 _Yeah, you know. Where you spot the weaknesses._

 _Oh. Uh…_ He looked up, squinting his eyes. Nothing happened, so he blinked. The same thing happened in the junkyard. Little aim points came into vision.

 _Under the metal plates the skin is vulnerable. Its underbelly is also bare. The frills are open, if you strike behind then it'll either blow them off or take its head._

 _Nice._

 _Liam, I need you to fire either explosive or foam arrows under the plates. If you can get it down on the ground, then I can get a clear shot to its head._

 _You got it._

The people who couldn't fight were almost to safety, but the snake had gained movement speed. Luckily no one had spotted him yet. The snake was almost to the Big House.

 _Hurry…_ He thought, gulping at the advancing serpent.

"Ashe!" He heard a woman cry. He looked down to see a young girl trip over a rock, falling on her face. The snake spotted her, hissing at his first meal. He gasped and ran across the roof, hopping down and going into a barrel roll before hopping back up and dashing towards her. He lunged, gathering her into his arms and rolling away before the snake lunged its face down, barely missing them. He jumped up again, running behind a small building, panting a bit, holding her tight. The snake hissed in displeasure at not getting its first meal. He let her down.

"Go around, okay? Get to your parents." She nodded and ran off, heading behind the Big House. He took a breath, before running out, waving his arms.

"Hey!" He shouted, catching the serpent's attention. It hissed, doing the little slither and lunged. He rolled out of the way, running alongside, hoping to draw its attention away from the Big House.

It didn't work.

It took its attention off him and turned to the Big House, hissing and flicking its tongue. It had a glint in its eye that gave him a very bad feeling. He turned and ran back in front.

 _Oh man, I really wish I had a shield right now._ He thought. He gulped, watching the snake do its slither, getting ready to strike.

"Fire!" He heard Reyna shout. The snake turned its head, just in time to see arrows pelt against the plates, deflecting off without harm.

Suddenly the air grew colder, and he could almost feel the focus in the arrow. There was a whistle before a black arrow appeared in his vision. It landed right in between one of the plates.

"Get down!" He yelled to the archers. He dove behind a large rock, a beeping noise sounding before there was an explosion. The snake roared, a sound of a snap coming to his ears and the noise of metal clanging made him peak out from his hiding spot. The plate had snapped off, and the explosion left the skin red and blistered. Another arrow whistled pass, landing on the skin, the foam erupting and sealing him down on the ground.

 _All yours, Al._

 _On it._

He saw her figure appear at the tail, before vanishing in a cloud of black smoke. He was confused for a moment.

 _Tell Reyna to get everyone to safety. This thing is nasty._

He ran to her while she was confused.

"Get everyone to safety." He told her, before running off, his sword and dagger appearing in his hands. He heard the order almost immediately. He slashed upward, making the snake shriek, green blood sliding down its belly. The snake shot down, hopping away, hitting the spot he was just at. A little green dot was on its head.

 _Alyx, there's a little dot on its head. I think that's the weak spot._

 _Yes, sir._

He spotted her running up its back, in the stupid Naruto run. Her eyes reminded him of wolf eyes now, and they gave off a weird glint as she ran. She moved quickly, like a blur. She leapt over the wounded area and landed on top of its head, pulling out her dagger.

"I think I'll name you Vlad." She said before driving the dagger into the head. He rolled out of the way as it flicked its tail down to his spot, making a crater in the spot. The snake roared and exploded into green slime, expanding throughout the camp. He covered his face, gagging at the smell and feel. He shook it off, heading to where she stood, sheathing her dagger before anyone could see it. Liam came out of his spot, his bow gone. They stood by her, arms behind their backs like guards, staring down Reyna as people begun to slowly emerge from their hiding spots.

"Who are you?" Reyna asked, her eyes narrowed. She didn't look happy. They said nothing.

 _Go ahead. Take off your masks._

Liam and Carlos reached up, taking off their hoods and masks.

"Pretty…" A little girl said. "Your eyes are so pretty…" She pointed at him, her eyes wide.

"Get back, Annie…" Reyna said gently, and the little girl retreated behind her. "You three. Who are you?" She glared daggers at Alyx, her dark eyes clouded with anger.

Alyx sighed, slowly reaching up and pulling off her hood, her hand brushing her earring, her mask retreating. Her hair fell from the ponytail she had before they arrived, falling around her face like curtains. Collectively, the crowd froze, their eyes wide like they were seeing a ghost. She gave a choked chuckle, her mischievous smile coming to her face.

"I'm back."

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	27. Chapter 27

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Seven - Carlos**

He could feel the tension from the crowd leaving off them in rolls. He didn't blame them, and he would be the same way. They stared at each other, not moving. Alyx had eyes of guilt and sadness, but relief as well.

"Alyx?" Reyna asked. Alyx laughed slightly, scratching the back of her head.

"Been gone for a while, huh? Sorry about that." The anger melted away, her shoulders sagging, her eyes softening. The crowd begin to part, Percy coming out, his face in a panic. As soon as he saw Alyx, tears welled up in his eyes.

"Dad!" She ran forward, going straight into his arms, his arms tightly wrapping around her, burying his face into her hair, crying.

"My baby…" He whispered, stroking her hair. She gently pulled away from his neck. "Where have you been?" She gave a laugh.

"It's a really, really long story."

* * *

After everyone showered her in welcome backs, one Demeter boy giving her a flower crown and blushing brightly when she smiled at him, she introduced them.

"These are the two who helped me out across country. This is Carlos." She pointed at him. "He found me when I was fighting a Canadian, and saved me from the streets."

"Hey!" Frank and Liam said at the same time. She snickered.

"This is Liam. He came down from Banff. Carlos and I met him the day we were leaving for New York. He's twenty two and Carlos is seventeen." She wrapped her arms around their necks, pulling them close. "They're like brothers I've never had." He blushed, Liam's cheek's also erupting in red. Everyone softened at them, chuckling in unison. A tall guy with a military buzz cut and tan skin glared at Alyx, his eyes angered.

"Isaac!" She said, pulling away and going up to him. "You seem taller." She told him, crossing her arms.

"Pull a stunt like that again," He gripped her shoulder, his eye twitching. "Or I'll hunt you down myself." He shivered, but Alyx laughed wholeheartedly, the tension leaving Isaac's shoulders.

"Threat noted." She said, grinning at him. "Nice to see you too." He pouted and pulled her into a tight hug, stuffing her face into his chest.

"My turn!" A tall guy that he immediately recognized came from the crowd. He let out a squeak and covered his mouth when everyone, as in everyone in the crowd, looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"You okay?" Liam asked him.

"Scott Smith…?" He squeaked out. Scott blushed, laughing.

"A fan? Haven't run into one in months." Everything suddenly clicked into place.

"You're Yuu's boyfriend."

"Ex-boyfriend." He tilted his head. "You know her?"

"My sister went to high school with her." He scowled, glaring at his shoes.

"Anyway…" Alyx coughed, giving him a sympathy glance. Scott perked up and lifted her into his arms, squeezing her hard.

"You're back!" She laughed.

"Yep!"

After introducing them to everyone, including the guy who choked Liam, she immediately apologized for any harm she dealt to them. Everyone said it was okay or that she was not a fault. Hank waved his injured hand, chuckling awkwardly.

"No, it was my fault." He blushed a bit. She gently took his hand, stroking the bandages and frowning deeply.

"You're taller." She mumbled.

"So are you…" She looked up at him. "And handsomer." He turned red.

"Can you wait to make lovey dovey faces to each other?" Jasper asked, wrinkling her nose.

"Sorry." She said. "Where's Phillip?"

"His wound got infected, so he's in the infirmary." Jasper narrowed her eyes at Liam, who blushed and looked away.

"You were the one who injured my brother." She hissed, poking his chest. "That arrow has luxite in it. It's a deadly metal to demigods and monsters."

"I-I never knew that."

"Didn't know?" She glared coldly.

"Jasper-" Jason started to warn.

"No." She said. "You hurt my brother-"

"It was his arrow." Alyx cut in. "But I was the one who aimed and fired." Gasps erupted and Jasper let go, staring at her in shock.

"Why…?" She looked down.

"Please let me explain."

* * *

They gathered in the Big House, sitting down awkwardly. They sat on each side of Alyx, and Ashe, the little girl he saved, apparently had taken a liking to him, because she absolutely refused to sit in Jason's lap and crawled onto his. She cuddled up to him and fell asleep, making him sleepy as well. She reminded him of Pearl, built like her and everything. He wondered if she was the same age as well.

"Please, child…" Chiron said gently. "Tell us your story."

So she did. She told them everything, from the moment she woke up in the forest to getting her memory back. They also chipped in, saying little parts where she missed. Afterwards, Chiron narrowed his eyes.

"So Akira is back." He said.

"Yes. And I believe he is more powerful now. I think he has a god on his side."

"How do you know this?" Percy asked, leaning forward.

"He has a second in command, the one who helped me get my memory back, told me everything, except for the god's name." She played with her flower crown, the petals and leaves perking up under her touch.

"His second in command?"

"Yes."

"This guy is betraying Akira? Why?" She took a breath, letting it out in a sigh.

"They are a breed formed to serve one person, a person that will rule over Tartarus."

"But Tartarus is a being, not a land. The Underworld is a land, but I don't see Hades giving it up any time soon. Besides, how would someone rule over Tartarus filled with monsters who hate half-bloods?" She stared at her knees, not moving, a shadow cast over her face. The flowers were stilly perky and beautiful.

"Alyx…?" He asked softly, laying his hand on hers.

"What's wrong?" Hank asked, stepping forward.

"Alyx, dear, answer the question." Chiron soothed. His words, even though they were few, leaked wisdom and comfort.

A tear fell onto a flower petal.

"Because I would become queen."

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	28. Chapter 28

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Eight - Liam**

Everyone stared at her, the movement in the room gone. Percy had paled completely, his skin and even his eyes. He made no movement toward her.

"W-What… What are you talking about?" Jason asked.

"That's impossible…" Hazel covered her mouth.

"You're a demigod, though…" Fiona said. "It'd be impossible for you to be a ruler of a… A corrupt world."

"How could that happen?" Caleb asked.

"When I was in Tartarus, I encountered both Nyx and Akhyls, who told me I had bad blood running through my veins. That's how I was able to master dark magic so quickly." She retreated her fingers from the crown.

"But your mother and I are pure bloods." Percy said, his voice weak. She glanced her eyes up before looking at her hands.

"That's not really true."

"Huh?"

"Grandma Sally is a descendant of a Roman and Greek demigod. The Greek was her great grandfather and the Roman was her great grandmother. The Roman… She was daughter of Trivia, equivalent to Hecate."

"So you're saying Percy's has Roman blood in him?" Reyna asked. "How are we supposed to believe that?"

"How do you think he is so powerful? And how I mastered dark magic quickly? Trivia is goddess of sorcery." Percy blushed darkly.

"I did at one point speak Latin."

"Eh?"

"Yeah… I don't know how."

It was sort of hard to imagine, actually. Even if Alyx did become queen or whatever, it was hard to imagine her sitting on a throne in a grown, holding a staff and giving orders. He glanced at the others and saw the same thing in their eyes as well.

"And… Akira's trying to take over." Gray said.

"Yes."

"And this breed you mentioned. What is that?"

"They are a breed formed to serve me. The guy who gave my memory back was one of them, but Akira got to them first, even though their mindset was for me. They played along with him, but he says that his people's patience is wearing thin."

"So… They need you."

"Yes."

There was silence for a long time, the news slowly sinking into everyone.

"This is a lot to take in." Chiron finally said. "Everyone, please rest up. You all have had a long day. We will discuss more in the morning."

* * *

Jasper asked Alyx if she would like to see Phillip, striking up another question.

"Where's Mom?" She asked.

"She's here." Percy smiled warmly. "Come." He gestured to him and Carlos as well, so they followed behind. He opened a door, and there laid Annabeth.

His mom had told him stories of finding her, and adventures that they had with her. She'd aged well, with shoulder length curls and skin that didn't even seemed wrinkled. She sat there, looking out the window, two bundles in her arms.

"Annabeth?" Percy said. Alyx had hid, cupping her hands over her mouth and threatening to cry. "There's someone here to see you."

"Is there?" She sounded tired, but alert and curious. Alyx took a breath before stepping into view, waving.

"Hi, Mom."

"A-Alyx…? My baby? Is that you?"

"I'm back."

After they were introduced, and Annabeth eyed both of them carefully, Alyx peered at the bundles.

"Twins?" She asked.

"A boy and a girl. Meet Ace and Ebony."

"So cute…"

"Want to hold them?" She nodded, and slowly, Annabeth transferred the two into her arms.

"So tiny…" She said, looking at the two. They peered over her shoulder. Ace had such bright blond hair, it looked white, and it was also in tight curls. He had yet to open his eyes. Ebony had pitch black hair. Her eyes had yet to open.

"Like Yin and Yang." Carlos laughed. "White and black hair." Percy smiled, laughing a bit.

"I guess so. Never really thought about that." Both babies yawned, kneading their blankets before opening their eyes. They stared at Alyx with wide beautiful bluish grey eyes, almost exactly like hers, without the sea green. Cooing softly, they reached up, their tiny hands gently brushing her chin. She froze, her eyes watering. She buried her face into their bellies.

"I'm going to protect you no matter what… Even if it costs me my life…"

* * *

They went to the Mess Hall, passing the cabins and other areas along the way. His mom always brought home pictures and told him new stories or what was going on.

 _"How come I can't visit?" He remembered asking one day when he was fourteen. He was looking through her photo album of the camp, looking sadly at the happy times. She stopped polishing her shield and looked at him, her eyes sad._

 _"Honey, you know why." His shoulders slumped._

 _"Right… I'm not supposed to be alive…"_

 _"No, baby…" She got up, setting her shield down and sitting next to him, pulling him close. "If Artemis found out I had a baby, she would ban me… Remember that story?"_

 _"Of the woman Zeus raped and impregnated?"_

 _"That one, yes…"_

 _"But Dad didn't rape you…"_

 _"I know, son… But if she did find out-"_

 _"She wouldn't care. You've been her Lieutenant for years now." He remembered her eyes, the same ones he got from her, staring at him with kindness and understanding. He liked how she mellowed out after being a Hunter for so long, but it was still weird that she was still fifteen._

 _"Promise me that when I'm twenty or so, you'll tell her." She stared at him before sighing._

 _"I promise."_

Alyx caught Carlos gaping in awe at everything, his eyes wide with excitement. He didn't blame him, after all. His parents were gone for twenty some years, so they missed out on a ton of stuff.

"After the Romans and Greeks allied together, the camp needed some upgrades and since the Romans were really good builders, they helped add to the camp. Then slowly people started the new generation. I was born after Dad and Mom graduated college in New Rome." She said.

"Wow…" Carlos said.

"Yup! And summer is coming up, so kids from school and around the country will be coming." Carlos was so excited he was literally buzzing.

"Is the Mess Hall bigger?" He asked.

"I'll give you a full tour in the morning." She yawned, patting her stomach. "Right now, I just need a burger and fries."

As soon as they got to the Mess Hall, people stood and cheered. Alyx waved and then pushed them forward, patting their backs.

"Welcome them with open arms, guys. They've had a rough week." He saw Carlos wince when she brushed his back.

"Um…" He mumbled, tugging on her sleeve. "My back hurts…" She lightly chuckled.

"Let's eat and then I'll get you some medicine, okay?"

* * *

He and Carlos sat at the unclaimed table (which was empty), and watched Alyx tell her story to the campers at the head table with Chiron and Reyna. After she was finished, she allowed questions.

"You encountered a Fury?" Ashe asked.

"Yup!"

"Cool! Was it Mrs. Dodds?"

"No. This one was disguised as an old woman who tried to steal my notebook." She rolled her eyes. "I'm not even that great of an artist anyway." Carlos scoffed. Collectively, people turned their heads.

"My ass." He said. "You're an amazing artist." She chuckled.

"True, you do have a great ass." He turned red.

"That's not the point!" Hank looked confused and turned his head back to Alyx, who happily licked her lips from her burger.

"What's that about?" he asked.

"Ooh, someone's jealous." Jasper snickered.

"Am not."

"So are. I see it."

"See it…?" Carlos asked.

"I can see emotions." She said, tapping her head. "Love, hatred, jealousy. Whatever humans feel." He frowned.

"That doesn't make sense." Liam said.

"Jasper is granddaughter of Zeus and Aphrodite. She's blessed with powers that not many Aphrodite kids have." Alyx said, rubbing her finger around the rim of her glass. "She wields charmspeak and is extremely talented in swordplay." Jasper blushed, her light skin tinting red.

"Nah. You're way more talented then I will ever be." She said, fanning her hand at her. "Both Roman and Greek ancestry and training, daughter of two legends, wields magic and the Curse of Achilles, and holds the weapon of Hercules and Percy Jackson."

He swallowed his food heavily.

The image of her suddenly appeared in his head.

 _"If we lived in ancient times or something, she would make a fine queen!"_

He stood abruptly, making Carlos look up at him a bit startled.

"I'm going to bed now." He said.

"Um…" Jason said, blinking at him. "Do you want someone to lead you to the showers-"

"I can find it. Thank you."

Dressed in royal Greek garments, a crown with either green or blue gems, holding a staff of power and her sword at her hip, he felt something stir inside him.

What was that? It didn't feel like jealousy or anger, but more like…

He stopped in front of his mother's tree.

"I know what I want to do, Mom."

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	29. Chapter 29

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Nine - Alyx**

She opened the door to her room.

She loved the Poseidon cabin. Located by the ocean, built like a two story house with three rooms downstairs a two rooms upstairs for her parents. The outside was nice, like the cabin in Montauk that her family took trips to before or during summer.

Her bed was neatly made. Her desk had notebooks, books and coloring tools. The cork board with pictures of friends, Camp Half-Blood and Jupiter, and her family were just the way she left them. A candle that smelled like the morning mist burned by her bed. She pulled off the pin and pulled off the picture the week before she disappeared.

"Annabeth was in here day and night while you were gone." She turned to see her dad and Scott in the doorway, soft smiles on their faces. She looked at them before turning her head to the picture. She sat in the middle, Bianca next to her, her arm around her shoulder. Scott was on her right, her arm also around him. Hank, Fiona, Jasper and Phillip stood behind her. The triplets were on the left, Leon and Caleb on the right. Jay, Gray and Wally were on the right of Bianca. Jasmine was next to Scott.

"Where's Jasmine?" She asked.

"She's in the forest with Grover and Juniper. She's resting."

"Did she give birth?"

"She's due sometime tonight." She set the picture down.

"I'm going to see her."

* * *

She ran through the forest, remembering where Grover and Juniper's hut was. Along the way, she heard whispers from nymphs and dryads, such as 'She's returned'. She got into the open space, the hut's windows flickering with light. She ran up, knocking gently. Grover opened the door.

"Alyx!" He hugged her, and she hugged back, extremely worried.

"Where's Jasmine?" She asked.

"This way." He led her into the bedroom, where Jasmine lay. Her belly was huge, sweat beaded on her forehead, her hair pulled back in a bun. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her breathing ragged. Juniper stood from her spot, Grover gently waving at her. She went to Jasmine's side, gently taking her hand and laying her hand on her forehead. She let out a pant and slowly opened her eyes. She blinked a few times.

"A-Al…?" She coughed.

"I'm back…" She said, stroking her hair.

"W-Where h-have you been…?"

"It's a long story…" She lifted her eyes to Juniper's. "How long has she been in labor?"

"Hours." Grover said. "Where's Phillip? He should be here."

"Uh…" She said, rubbing her neck. "About that. He's currently down with an injury."

"Phillip is hurt…?" She asked.

"Infection from an arrow." She looked down. "I'll explain everything later…"

"O-Okay…" She suddenly lurched forward, a scream piercing the room.

"Get the nurses!" Juniper said. Grover ran out, nurses from the Apollo cabin running in.

It was painful to watch, but she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Mariam, the head nurse, laid the baby in Jasmine's arms after cleaning her up, and then cleaned her up well.

"She's so cute…" Juniper said.

"She looks like you." Alyx said. Jasmine laughed, tears of happiness in her eyes.

"I think she looks more like her dad than me." She stroked her cheek. "We'll name you as soon as your dad is well, okay, baby girl…?" The baby cooed, her fists curling and kneading the blanket.

* * *

She stayed until Jasmine fell asleep, then got up and left, heading to the infirmary. She walked the long way through the forests, the small growls and grunts of monsters reaching her ears. She didn't really care, and kept on. She made it and quietly snuck in, quietly opening Phillip's door. He lay in bed, his skin pale in color, sweat beaded on his forehead. His shirt was off, showing the blood stained bandages around his shoulder. She quietly closed the door, taking off her sweater and laying it over the chair, pulling off her gloves and setting them on the bedside table. She still had her arms wrapped in bandages, but she decided to leave them on until her shower. She took a breath and laid her hands on his shoulder.

" _Therapévo._ " She mumbled. A bright blue light appeared under her hands, his body relaxing. She lifted her hands, grabbing the scissors and snipping away the bandages, throwing them. The spot was healed, no scar visible. She laid her hand on his forehead.

"Sleep well, Phillip."

* * *

She got back to the Poseidon cabin and slipped in quietly. She stripped slowly, unwrapping the bandages on her body and looking at herself in the mirror. She slid her hands up her hips.

Every mishap, whether little or big, every tattoo, scar, bruise and trial has gotten her to where she stood today. Not to mention the people. The magicians, the Romans, the Greeks, the Hunters, the Amazons, Tyson, heck, even the gods. Even _Akira_.

She took a breath and stepped into the water, closing her eyes and tilting her head back.

If she did take the throne to rule Tartarus that meant giving up her life in the mortal world, and ruling a world full of monsters that could change any moment, taking the throne meant leaving her parents at seventeen and pursuing a role that could either corrupt her mind or help her be a better person. She doubted the second.

She pressed her forehead to the wall.

Sure, she couldn't ask Athena for a blessing since she was locked up somewhere, but maybe… No, that'd be stupid. Her mom just had twins, and was still resting from the birth and stressing over her disappearance. She hadn't even explained the entire story to her, much less telling her about becoming queen.

 _My lady._

She jumped, nearly slipping but the water grabbed her wrists like a person without her command.

 _I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you._

 _What the Hades, Rei?!_ She covered up. _Are you watching me in the shower?_

 _No, Highness. I-_

 _Don't call me that. I haven't decided._

 _You need to decide quickly. Akira's coronation is in three days._

 _What? I thought it was in a week?_

 _No. His second advisor convinced him to move it up in order to gain the benefits of the crown._

 _What's so special about this crown?_

 _It has a power that the crystals possess._

 _What? I thought we got all of them._

 _No… There was one left. Athena._

 _Oh, great._

 _Please, make haste._

She glared at her feet.

"Ugh!" She yelled, punching the wall.

"Go to sleep!" She heard her dad yell from upstairs. "And stop punching things!" She scratched her head, grabbing the shampoo bottle and squeezing some onto her hand.

She finished her shower and dried off then got dressed, crawling into bed and pulling on socks. She snuggled under the covers, the scent of fresh sheets relaxing her muscles and mind.

With a clear mind, she fell asleep.

* * *

"Alyx! Wake up!"

"Shut up… I've had a long week…" She turned her head away from her dad's hand, who huffed.

"It's important!"

"What could be so important at-" she lifted her head, "five in the morning?!"

"The others have been kidnapped."

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	30. Chapter 30

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty - Alyx**

Reyna slammed her hand on the map.

"We need to attack. It's the only way to get our children back." Shouts of agreements went up.

Everyone that was on the quest last summer, excluding Jasmine and Gray, but including Carlos and Liam, had been captured overnight. It was around 6:30 in the morning, the entire camp awake.

She was leaned up against the wall behind Reyna, Chiron and Clarisse. They stood at the table, trying to pin point where they were located.

"Alyx, what do you think?" They turned, looking at her with curious eyes. She picked at her nails.

"To be honest, it's a stupid idea."

"Hey! Our kids have been captured-" Clarisse started. She lifted her head, her eyes a cold steel. Clarisse froze, her fingers loosening around her dagger and dropping it to the floor.

"One, you don't know the layout of Tartarus at all. Two, Tartarus is swarming with monsters that are bloodthirsty and will kill any demigod on sight. Three, Akira has guards swarming the castle and his kingdom. Four, if he does sense an army coming, he will either hurt or kill one of them." She raised her eyebrows. "See my point?"

"Very well explained, my dear Alyx."

He stood there, dressed in a black suit, white shirt and black skinny tie. His hair was slicked back and his eyes glinted with triumph and pride. Everyone stood, glaring at him and reaching for their weapons.

"No, no." He flicked his hand, everybody but her freezing. "If you attempt to harm me, I will give the order to kill one of your friends. Probably starting with the mortal."

"M-Mortal?"

"Yes." A smile came onto his face. "Bianca, yes? Named after Bianca di Angelo?"

"Don't say her name, you bastard." Nico hissed, his eyes burning with hatred. Akira simple smiled.

"They certainly have been entertaining. The mortal is much stronger than I thought she would be." His smile turned into a grin. "And the Hephaestus boy is rather entertaining as well."

"If you so much as lay a finger on my son-" Calypso started.

"No, no. The other one. Carlos, yes? He's my personal slave-"

 _TWACK!_

He froze, the grin wiping off his face, stiffening at the wind from the throw.

"If you lay a hand on him," she growled. "I will end your life and army." He cleared his throat, brushing his shoulder with his hand.

"You've certainly gotten faster." He commented, looking at the knife embedded in the wall. He pulled it out, examining it. "Is this steel and Stygian Iron?"

"Celestial Bronze." She said gruffly.

"Hm." He slid his fingers over it, but hissed and dropped it. "By the way, your deadline to come and rescue your friends is three days." He smirked. "Hurry, my dear. Come alone. It won't be long until I get impatient." He licked his lips and vanished in a cloud of smoke, the grip on everyone vanishing. She glared at her shoes.

"You're not thinking of going, are you…?" She felt her dad's hand gently grip hers, his fingers long and slim, but rough from working. She pressed her forehead to his shoulder.

"I have to, Papa…"

* * *

After saying her goodbyes, she went to her mother's room. She laid her hand on the knob, taking a breath and opening it. She was sitting in bed, reading a book, the twins in their cribs. She heard soft cooing and whining, and saw their little feet kicking up.

"Oh, honey." She closed her book, marking it and putting it to the side. "I know that look. What happened?" She patted a spot. She loved her mother. Soft and gentle, but strong and commanding in combat, despite not fighting in years. She was similar to Grandma Sally, in a way.

"The others were kidnapped overnight." She said softly. She explained her story, everything from the moment she woke up in the forest to now. She watched her mom think about it after she finished.

"Then I guess you need to go." She smiled, gently cupping her cheek. "To think you are seventeen now." Her hand was warm and soft, unlike other architects who had rough and dry skin from drawing blueprints and writing all the time.

"Come back safely, alright?"

* * *

She zipped up the Ziploc, slipping it in the small pouch with the vials of nectar. She double checked the bag. Nectar, ambrosia, a first aid kit, and some snacks. She closed it, clasping and pulling it on her shoulder, then glancing at her backpack. She went over, pulling out the box.

 _"How will I know when to open it?" She asked Charles._

 _"You'll know when the time comes." He smiled warmly. "Please, be careful with my son. He's not made for fighting."_

 _"I understand." She bowed. "I will protect him."_

She gently put it back. _Not the time right now,_ she thought, zipping it up.

"Really going, huh?" She turned to see Isaac leaning in the doorway, a satchel over his shoulder, his sword on his hip.

"Um, yes. What are you doing?"

"Going with you."

"No, you're not." She glared. "Look, you might've gone through Tartarus alone, but this guy is probably way smarter than last summer. Let me come. I know how to fight and I'm a skilled battle planner."

"You sure about that?"

"Shut up." She eyed him carefully before sighing, adjusting her strap.

"Fine." She looked at herself in the mirror. A short sleeve, skinny jeans, gloves and Converse hi-tops. In all black. Her hair was still ruffled from sleeping, but she smoothed it down. She had wrapped her arms with bandages, since it'd become a habit.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Yeah." She sighed. "Meet at Central Park in an hour in a half."

"Okay." He said. "What are you doing?"

"Just… Go there and wait." He shrugged but nodded.

* * *

She opened the door to the New York University building. The receptionist looked up.

"How can I help you?"

"I'm here to see Harper Beckendorf."

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	31. Chapter 31

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-One - Harper**

"Ha! I win again!"

"Ugh, go screw yourself."

Harper grinned, readjusting her ponytail and stretching her legs out, watching her two friends shuffle the cards.

"Are you going back to New Mexico to visit your family, Cami?"

"Maybe. It depends on how I finish this semester." Camille replied. Sai Lin gave a tiny hum and fiddled with her earring.

"Harper?"

"I might. It depends." She glanced at her phone worriedly.

Harper had been at NYU for her first year, meeting Camille and Sai Lin in the process. Both were freshmen like her, and they got put in the same dorm together. Camille was beautiful, with luscious brown skin, a curvy build and short curls that made her look like she could kick your butt and still look cute yet fierce. Sai Lin was also beautiful, with her Japanese features, olive skin and chin length black hair and thin build, she was perfect for acrobatics.

Also, she was 99.9% sure that they were half-bloods.

"Have you heard from your family?" Sai Lin asked, putting out the cards.

"No. I called my brother on his birthday, and we talked for a short time before he said he had to go." She glanced at it again, picking it up and turning it on. Of course, no messages from her parents or Carlos.

"I'm getting worried… I mean, we didn't talk much after winter break, but still…"

"He's probably busy with finals or something." Camille said. "It's hard when you have dyslexia, especially at seventeen."

"Yeah, I guess you're right…" She put it down and picked up her cards.

"I'm so hungry! When will that food get here?" Sai Lin said, patting her stomach. "It's been thirty minutes since we called."

"It's on its way. It's raining, so whoever is delivering it is probably caught in traffic or something." Camille told her, looking at her computer screen. Harper chuckled just as there was a knock on the door.

"Oh, finally!" Sai Lin said. Harper got up.

"I'll get it." She walked to the door, pulling up her sweats in the process, yawning. She unlocked it and opened it, expecting to see a Chinese food delivery boy with the red and black take out outfit, but instead, she got a girl.

The first thing that struck Harper was the aura of power that the girl emitted, then her beauty. Her hair was shoulder length, pitch black and naturally curly. The left side was shaved, and it wasn't even wet. In fact, her clothes or skin were wet. The rain was heavy and made that really pleasant smell of rain on concrete and asphalt, yet this woman wasn't wet. Her eyes were like a wolf's, the color a striking and stern silver, green around the pupil. Her skin was a perfect tan, like Apollo had kissed her skin. She wore a black short sleeve and jeans with Converse hi-tops and fingerless gloves. Bandages, white ones like you see in anime or something, went all the way up from her wrists to under her shirt. Three scars were on her face, and somehow, Harper could tell that she was a demigod from the power she radiated.

Still, she was suspicious.

"You're not the Chinese delivery guy." She said, crossing her arms. The woman nodded.

"No, I'm not. I've come on behalf of your brother." She narrowed her eyes. "I need your help."

"How do you know my brother?" The woman sighed.

"It's a very long story, but he's been kidnapped." She stiffened.

"Who are you to tell me that? If my parents knew this they would tell me."

"I'm his friend."

Okay, number one, Carlos would never associate himself with a girl like this, especially one with bandages and multiple earrings. Two, this woman was shady as heck.

"I don't trust you." The woman sighed.

"My name is Alyx."

"Okay, who cares?"

"Look, sweetheart," she took a step towards her, jabbing her finger into her chest. "I don't have all day to convince you. If you want to save your brother, meet me at Central Park in no more than an hour." Her eyes darkened and she tried not to back down.

"Hmph." She crossed her arms. "And if I don't show up?"

"Then it's your fault your brother died or has been taken as a slave." She pushed herself away, her arms dropping to her sides.

To say the least, Harper was very surprised that she didn't soil her pants at the look she got.

Cold, veteran and steel colored eyes that shone in the faint light reminded her very much like a wolf's.

She gulped.

A guy came out from his dorm room, yawning.

"What's the ruckus?" he asked.

"Uh…" She looked to look at Alyx, but was startled that no one was there. "Nothing, don't worry. Probably the rain."

"Oh, okay." And went back in. She looked at the spot she had stood in, but there was no sign of the weird girl so she went back inside.

"You okay?" Camille asked. "You look like you saw a ghost."

"Not… Not really…" Harper replied, sitting down and picking up her phone.

"Something wrong…?" Sai Lin asked.

"Family emergency." She replied softly. Harper stood. "Mind if I go?"

"Sure."

"Just put my food in the fridge or something." She went to their shared room, pulling on jeans, a sweater and grabbing her emergency satchel that her dad and mom made before she left. It was filled with a couple of vials of nectar, a baggie of ambrosia, her dagger that had been her mom's, food and water, a roll of mortal cash, a bag of drachmas and a first aid kit. She put her phone in her sweater pocket and headed out.

* * *

She wondered who the heck this creep was. And if Alyx was a goddess in disguise or something.

She caught a cab to the park, and as soon as she was dropped off, she looked around. She spotted Alyx's black hair underneath a canopy, talking with a tall guy. She took a breath and headed toward them.

"Oh, look, you came." Alyx said without turning around.

"I'm only here to get my brother back." She said, pulling off her hood. The guy turned bright red and turned around, grabbing his pack, Alyx raising her eyebrow.

"This is Isaac. Isaac, this is Harper, Carlos's sister." He turned back, giving a nod.

"Let's make this quick." Alyx nodded and tapped the wall, a portal appearing. Isaac looked like he'd seen some more weird things in his life, but this was new.

"You can create portals?"

"Yup." Alyx replied. "I'll go in first to make sure there aren't any guards." And she slipped through.

They waited for a few minutes, awkward silence between them.

"So…" Harper cleared her throat. "How long have you known her?"

"My whole life." He replied. He was handsome, with short black hair, light brown skin and brown eyes.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Nice." He made a face.

"Not really."

"Why?"

"Because our parents-" Alyx's arm came through, her thumb pointing up as a sign to say, 'good to go'.

So they stepped through and into a hallway. The floor was made of obsidian, the pillars white marble and the walls a dark grey. Lights with blue flames lit up the hallway.

"Ready?"

And they plunged into the darkness.

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	32. Chapter 32

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Two - Harper**

"Where are we?"

"Tartarus."

Harper stopped short, staring at them in horror. What did she just say?

"What the hell are you talking about?" They stopped, turning to look at her. Alyx looked around.

"Hell." She replied, raising her eyebrow. Isaac covered his mouth to stifle a laugh.

"We're in Tartarus?!" Alyx bolted up to her and covered her mouth.

"Shh! Are you trying to get us caught?" She hissed. "Yes, we're in Tartarus. A guy named Akira has captured my friends, your brother and the gods. He has a goddess on his side, but a guy named Rei is on our side and is feeding me information. So shush and behave. Got that, sweetheart?"

She nodded slowly, Alyx pulling away and continuing on. For the first time, she saw a dagger holster on her back, hooked onto a belt. The holster was black with gold trim, the handle of the dagger wrapped in fine black leather.

Now, she had never checked out a woman before, but _damn_. Built like an athlete, her legs were long and muscular, her butt well rounded, not too big or too small. Her curves were on point, full hips perfect for other activities, like hockey. Her upper body was well built too. Long arms that were muscular, fingers long and slim with nicely filed nails, and a flat belly and nice sized breasts. Her shoulders were nice, not broad like a man's but well posturized.

Isaac wasn't too bad either. Tall and built muscular, with broad shoulders and back muscles that showed through his shirt, jeans and combat boots, he looked hot and handsome.

"So how long have you been friends?" Harper asked.

"Whole lives." Alyx replied, looking at the map. "He's two years older than me." Harper picked up her pace and started to walk next to her.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"That's neat. But you seem older."

"Hey!" Isaac said. Alyx laughed.

"Calm down." She said. "Yeah, but he's older, so I need to respect my elders." He glared coldly, reaching for his sword hilt.

"Fight me."

"No." She flicked his forehead and he backed off. Harper was amazed by their bond. They fought like siblings, yet seemed like best friends at the same time.

"So you guys are best friends?"

"Rivals." Isaac said. "Our parents hate each other."

"How come?"

"My dad's Percy Jackson and his mom is Clarisse La Rue."

"Eh?"

"Yeah." Isaac said, putting his hands behind his head. "My mom had me right after she got married and about a year after the Gaea war."

"Gaea…?" She asked.

They told her the rest of the Titan War, since her parents 'died' but she didn't mention that, then told her about Jason and the rest of the story.

So apparently Jason Grace is a son of Jupiter, the Roman version of Zeus, Piper McClean is a daughter of Aphrodite, and Leo Valdez is a son of Hephaestus. They were on a school bus heading to the Grand Canyon where Jason woke up with no recollection of who he was or where he was, just his name. So they were taken to Camp Half-Blood by Coach Hedge, a satyr in a teacher disguise. They were given a prophecy, and had to head to rescue Hera, who had been taken 'prisoner'. In the end, Jason got his memory back.

Then Percy had switched camps and lost his memory as well, meeting Frank Zhang, son of Mars, the Roman form of Ares, and Hazel Levesque, daughter of Pluto, the Roman form of Hades and Reyna Ramirez-Arellano, daughter of Bellona, a Roman war goddess and praetor of Camp Jupiter, located in San Francisco. Percy had been fighting for two months against two gorgons, the sisters of Medusa. And he only had one name in mind:

Annabeth.

With that in mind, he trudged to Camp Jupiter, even though he didn't know about it at the time, and carried Hera into the camp, looking like a wreck from his journey. During a night of war games, a Roman version of Capture the Flag, Mars appeared and claimed Frank as his son then gave them a quest to free Thanatos, so they travelled to Alaska, the land where the god's power is useless. Along the way, they encountered Phineas, the blind guy that could see the future. Percy got his memory back with gorgon's blood, after Phineas challenged him to drink one and he drink the other. They told her that the right side has the power to heal any wound or injury, whereas the left side is deadly.

As they travelled to Alaska, his memory started to return, and they finally free Thanatos and returned to Camp Jupiter, bringing back the lost Golden Eagle, as well as many Imperial Gold weapons, which is deadly to demigods but also the common metal among Romans. And then Leo, Annabeth, Jason and Piper and Coach Hedge found then in Camp Jupiter, on the ship _Argo II_ and then they set off on a quest to find Nico and Annabeth to follow the Mark of Athena. Annabeth and Percy fell in Tartarus when Annabeth found the Athena Parthenos and encountered Arachne, the spider goddess and defeated her by making a giant Chinese handcuff. While the two went through Tartarus, Reyna, Nico and Coach Hedge shadow travelled around the world to try and get the Athena Parthenos to stop a war breaking out between the Greeks and Romans, led by an augur named Octavian.

In the end, Leo sacrificed himself to defeat Gaea, only to return to Camp Half-Blood sixteen years later with Calypso and two kids.

"Damn." She muttered after they finished. They made it into a small cave near the castle, but Alyx didn't want to take any chances and just storm in there without a plan.

"So, you're the daughter of two legends."

"Yup."

"And your friends are kids of legends, too."

"Mhm."

She narrowed her eyes, scratching her head.

"And your brother is on his way to becoming a legend too." Harper looked at Alyx with a raised eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, he's braver than you think. He's fought numerous people and monsters, not to mention has protected me. Every time he fights, he gets this look on his face that tells me that he's a good person, both at kindness and at fighting. He even saved one of my friend's sisters from being killed by a huge snake."

She could barely imagine that her little brother that she had protected from bullies, would cry if he got hurt and got angry with himself for having dyslexia could _fight_.

"I know what you're thinking." Isaac said, pulling out a bag of jerky. "I could tell from the moment I met him he was a mama's boy."

"Hey! He is not-" He held up a piece, his eyes narrowed.

"Not finished. Then after hearing Alyx's story and seeing him in action, I guess he's a good fighter." He nibbled on it, the jerky looking like it had chili powder and seeds on it. "He just needs training."

"I trained him best I could, since I didn't have my memory." Alyx said, watching Isaac eat it and then snorting with laughter when he choked on it and dug through his pack trying to find his water. He dug it out and took a sip, gulping it down halfway.

Alyx was in hysterics.

"F-For an Ares kid you can't handle heat much!" Alyx cried, tears in her eyes from laughing so hard. He said something in Spanish, to which she replied easily, and he shut up.

"You can speak Spanish?" Harper asked.

"Yeah." Alyx replied. "As well as Chinese, Japanese, French, Korean, both North and South, Italian-"

"Okay, we get it. You're smart." Isaac said, zipping up his bag and putting it in his satchel. Alyx grinned, and then pulled out her two maps from her pocket. She spread them out and then pulled out a pen.

"So here's the plan. This map is a map to lead you to the dungeon, where they are keeping the others." She slid it to Isaac. "Follow the route and you will get there. Free them and bring them back to this cave."

"What are you going to do?" Harper asked.

"I'm going to talk with Akira."

* * *

They ran quietly through the halls, getting deeper into enemy territory.

"I'm going to guess Alyx has encountered this Akira guy before." Harper whispered softly. Isaac nodded, looking at the map and taking a left.

"Last summer is when he rose. That's when Leo returned, to warn camp about him. Alyx…" He faltered. "She went through Tartarus alone, and came back a totally different person."

"How?"

"Before they left, she was this ball of energy and light, and then when she came back, she was similar but… She lost that energy." He looked down.

"I see…" They arrived at large double doors with designs like a prophecy carved in stone in Greek. They looked at each other and opened it.

Cells lined the wall down the hallway, soft groaning coming from one. They stepped in, and the first cell consisted of a handsome guy with chocolate skin, cinnamon hair and gold eyes. He wore Greek style slave robes, and he was barefoot. Brown stone chains were around his wrists and ankles.

"Hank!" Isaac exclaimed, running over. The guy looked up his eyes widening.

"Isaac?" He tried to stand but he fell to his knees, panting. "W-What are you doing here?"

"Came to save you, duh." He said, then turned to Harper. "Go to the others. I'll try to find something to unlock these cells." She nodded and ran to the cell across from Hank. The girl was pretty and reminded her of Sai Lin with the black slanted bob, light skin and Chinese features. She too wore Greek style slave robes and was barefoot, the same chains around her wrists and ankles. Harper looked around, spotting a key and grabbing it, putting it in the lock and turning it, a click sounding.

"Yes!" She said, opening the door and kneeling down. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine-" The girl's eyes widened. "Look out!" She turned just in time to see someone slam something into her cheek and everything went black.

* * *

When she woke up, she was kneeling, her wrists bound in chains, in the same cell as the girl. A man with white hair and red eyes, dressed nicely in a suit. He looked over and smiled, walking over.

"Hello." He greeted, his voice smooth and deep, persuasive yet cunning. His skin was pale, his hair slicked back. She could immediately tell this guy was not good. Then he said:

"Welcome to the madness."

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	33. Chapter 33

_Small warning before you read: This contains a bit of dirty talk, so... Yeah, just a warning._

 _I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Three - Alyx**

Surprisingly, even evil palaces had air vents.

She kicked off a register and crawled out, putting it back and then looking around, pulling out her map.

"Okay, so I'm near." She mumbled. She folded the map and headed down the hallway, arriving at tall double doors with weird flame looking designs and silver handles. She stretched, and then sunk into the shadows, coming out behind a pillar, peaking out.

Her breath caught.

Akira sat in a throne made of obsidian, gold, silver and bronze. He looked bored as he listened to the man giving him a report. To his left stood Rei. To his right sat Carlos.

 _Holy Hades._

He wore a similar costume that Princess Leia from Star Wars wore when she was slave to Jaba the Hutt, without the breast piece. Two pieces of cloth went down from his hips to his ankles, the side of his legs from the waist down exposed. A golden belt held the cloths together, the sides like beads, the plate pointed down. Golden bands were around his biceps, a red leather collar around his neck, connected to a chain, Akira holding the end. His skin looked smooth and shiny, hair in perfect curls and looking soft and shiny.

The only thing that ruined his appearance were the ugly brown chains around his wrists and ankles. He sat on his knees, staring at the ground, trying his best to keep himself covered up.

The man finished his report and left. Akira sighed happily, sinking back in his seat and tugging on Carlos's chain, using his left hand to stroke Carlos's cheek. Carlos looked away, biting his lip. Akira frowned, yanking on it hard, making Carlos gasp and reached his hands up, clawing at the collar.

"Come here, darling…" He hissed in his ear. "Since I haven't gotten a chance to take you yet and I'm waiting for Alyx to come, I might as well tease you a bit, hm? Would you like that, you little slut…?"

"N-No…!" He cried, his voice hoarse. Akira frowned and raised his hand to smack him.

"Hey!" She rolled out, shooting a ball of water at him and disgruntling him. "Get your hands off of him!" Akira coughed, letting the chain go and making Carlos fall back. He wiped his face.

"Well, well, well." He said, smirking. "She returns."

"Hell yeah I return!" She shouted, reaching for Riptide.

"No, no." A grin came to his face and he flicked his hand, chains breaking through from the ground and clamping around her wrists and ankles.

"It'd be a shame if you killed me again." He smiled sinisterly. "After all, if you killed me, there would be no use for the Gladiator Games."

"Gladiator Games…?" He grinned, walking down the stairs and approaching her.

"Yes, my dear Alyx." He purred. "You will see soon enough." He waved, two guards grabbing her arms, the chains connecting to the handcuffs disappearing, as well as the ones on her ankles.

"If you try anything, you will be punished." He smiled evilly and then turned to Carlos. "While I'm waiting for you to get prepared, I think I'll have a little fun with my pet." His blue eyes widened and he started to back up, but froze up.

"If you lay one hand on him, I swear to Zeus I will rip your head off!"

"Sire." Oh thank the gods. Rei was backing her. "I believe it'd be wise to wait until you have complete victory to play with him."

"But…" He frowned, looking at Carlos and pouting. "Fine. Prepare her." He said, waving at the guards. They grabbed her arms and took her away.

* * *

Alyx hated the stupid palace.

Sure, her inner Athenian was trying to break free and fangirl at the architecture, the colors and décor, the beautiful maid servants and nicely dressed guards.

She tugged on her chains.

 _The stone around you is Tarek Stone. It cancels out your powers._

 _Oh, that's nice._

 _I'm sorry, Highness… I did everything I could to stop him._

 _It's not your fault, Rei. It's mine- Wait, how are you talking to me?_

 _Telepathic Magic. I can also see through your eyes with Clairvoyance Magic._

 _Okay, weirdo. Can you get me out?_

 _There is a limited amount I can do… All you can do is to stay alive._

 _What are these Gladiator Games, anyway?_

 _They are a game composed of different warriors to fight for drachmas and freedom. I don't know what he has planned, but you must stay alive. They are brutal fights and some of the champions are vicious and tear their opponents apart._

 _Okay… So try to stay alive and not get torn apart. Got it._

 _Highness, I'm sorry for this… I thought I could be a better advisor._

 _Nah. You are a good advisor. Don't worry, I'll kick him off the throne._

 _I have faith in you, Highness. Also, did you know this palace was made for you?_

 _Oh?_

 _Yes, it was built as soon as you were born._

 _I see._

 _Good luck, Highness._

They led her to a dungeon consisting of the same stone. They opened a cell door and pushed her into place, grabbing chains that were laying there and hooking them to her handcuffs, then grabbing ankle cuffs and chaining her to the ground.

"What? Am I in solitary confinement?" They ignored her, closed the cell door and left. She sighed, looking down at her handcuffs and fidgeting.

 _Alright, guess I just need to figure out a plan…_ She looked around. The walls were solid, the cell door made of thick bar. She looked at her appearance, sighing. Even if she could break free, how would she find the others? If they were in the same area, then she could probably track their body heat down, but she wasn't going to risk Carlos's life or... Well, innocence.

 _What should I do…?_ She closed her eyes and waited.

* * *

She opened her eyes to the door opening, about ten guards in front of her. The same two who had put her in the cell unchained her from the floor but kept both cuffs on.

"Come on." One said, pushing her back.

"Okay, okay. Calm down." She followed them down a long hallway, before taking a turn, leading to wooden double doors.

"You sure like double doors." She commented and got no reply. "No sense of humor, huh?" She blinked at one of the guards, who stared straight ahead. "Tough crowd."

An announcer came on over speakers.

 _"Welcome to the Gladiator Games!"_ The sound of applause and roaring came to her ears. _"We have a very special treat for you all today!"_

The guards took off her chains.

 _"Please welcome, granddaughter of Poseidon and Athena, daughter of the infamous Percy Jackson, Alyx Jackson!"_

The doors opened to a colosseum like in Rome. They pushed her out and she covered her eyes from the blinding light.

That was weird. They were underground, so how was there light…? She looked around, her eyes landing on a cage with her friends. Bianca leaned heavily against Jasper, her side covered in blood, yet her wound was glowing blue. She was pale and panting. Harper and Isaac looked upset and embarrassed.

"You had one job." She mumbled. The doors behind her closed.

"Welcome, one and all to the Gladiator Games!" She looked up to see Akira on a balcony, his arms outstretched like he was greeting someone. "We have quite the treat, like the announcer said." A smirk came onto his face.

"Please welcome back to the Arena, Jorge!" The double doors across from her doors opened, a burly animal coming out. Half animal anyway. It looked like a man, but had the physique of a gorilla. It roared and barreled towards her.

"Oh, poop."

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	34. Chapter 34

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Four - Alyx**

Alyx hopped out of the way from its fist, the force making a crater in the ground. She landed, and gulped.

"The rules consist of using any type of weapon or power you may have." He smiled evilly, leaning back and gently tugging on Carlos's collar.

"Well, Alyx? What will you be fighting for? Your freedom or your friends?" She looked at the cage, all of their faces in horror and worry, then looked at the animal.

"Fight!"

Jorge, she guessed his name was, let out a roar and ran towards her. She jumped before he grabbed her, jumping over him and landing nicely on the ground. The crowd roared.

 _Sure, I have invincibility and I can live without getting a scratch, but I don't want it to seem like I can win easily either._ She hopped out of the way as his fist came down again. She glanced at Bianca, her eyes slightly open now.

"Hey, gorilla face!" She shouted at Jorge, who turned and growled. "Come get me!" He let out another roar and galloped toward her. She planted her feet on the ground, putting her arms in a lock hold above her head. Jorge slammed his arms down, dust flying up. The crowd went silent. Her ears rung, yet her body didn't feel impacted or sore, but she did feel a little weight. The dust cleared and the arena went into an uproar. People screamed in an outrage and monsters roared with anger.

"Did you forget," she lifted her head slowly, coming into eye contact with the gorilla. "That I have the Curse of Achilles?" Akira cursed.

"Find her weak spot, you monkey! Kill her!" He yelled. Jorge roared, rearing back for another attack. She took off in a sprint toward the double doors, looking over her shoulder to see him galloping toward her. She turned, spreading her legs, holding her position.

"That's it, you big ape…" She said. He raised his fist to punch her, but she ducked and slammed the palms of her hands into his stomach, his eyes widening. He coughed, blood splattering onto the doors. He stumbled back, trying not to trip.

"Done yet?" He growled, lunging at her once again. She ducked and rolled under him, running to the doors he came out of. He followed, galloping and roaring behind her. She whipped around, watching him get close then ducked again when he lunged, and took off in a run. She thanked her parents for convincing her to do track, to help with the Roman training. She hoped he followed, looking over her shoulder to see.

Thankfully, he did. She continued this until she heard ragged breaths, looking over to see him slowing down. She stopped, skidding and planting her feet.

"Come on, kill me!" She yelled, spreading her arms. He roared, lunging, his mitts ready to tear her head off.

 _SHURGH!_

Jorge hung, Riptide's point barely sticking out from his back. Blood spurted repeatedly from the wound, and the arena went dead silent. She slowly pulled out her sword and pushed him back, watching his body begin to disintegrate. She turned to Akira's balcony, watching him begin to shake with rage.

"No… How?" She pointed her sword at him, making him flinch.

"Let us go."

"No." He said plainly. "I don't think I fully explained the rules. You must win three matches every day until my crowning. I mean, if I decide to let you go." She scowled, gripping the hilt tightly.

"You-"

"No bad language here." He gestured to Bianca, who was getting worse. Her skin was almost blue, her eyes squeezed shut and her lips parted, her breathing ragged. She pursed her lips. If she did take it, then that was a death sentence, and if Bianca died down here…

"Fine. I'll play in your stupid games. But treat her and heal her." Alyx said, pointing to her. "If she dies, I will have your head."

"Fine, fine." He gestured to Rei, who nodded and left. She saw two guards come in and pick her up on a stretcher and haul her out.

"Now…" He grinned. "Release the Champion!"

The horror that crossed on Carlos's face gave her a _really_ bad feeling. She turned to the gates.

"No! Get out of there!" She looked to see him leaning over the railing, his eyes wide with fear. "He's too powerful! He'll kill you!" Akira yanked his chain and Carlos fell back onto his lap, coughing. He gripped his collar, whimpering.

The gates opened to reveal a man, clothed in ragged clothes, a chain hooked to a ball and a really big sword. The sword was dark, almost black because of the metal color. He had dark pink hair, pale skin covered in way more scars than she had, and dead eyes that reminded her of Akhyls's eyes. They were a dull magenta, so bare of emotion.

She gulped, holding her sword properly.

"Jax is a son of Ares, Alyx…" She looked up to see Akira smirking. "Left as a newborn to me, I raised him and trained him to be a gladiator. He's the strongest gladiator here. Let's see if you can beat him." He leaned back, his fingers dancing on Carlos's hip, before sliding up his back. He arched it, biting his lip and looking away.

She turned her head as she heard a chain landing on the ground, just in time to see him flying towards her, slamming his elbow into her stomach and knocking her back. She flew back, landing hard on her back hard, and rolling a bit. Riptide was knocked out of her hands. She coughed, sitting up and turning her head, her ears ringing.

"Jax has unusually high strength in his body. He's able to kill an enemy in a single blow if they are weak enough." Akira chuckled. "I wonder how long you'll last." Jax looked down at her with such a blank look, she almost wanted to give up. Raised to be a gladiator? How long has he been like this?

Her stomach churned.

 _How many innocent people, creatures and beings has he killed?_

He grabbed her by her hair, lifting her up. She kicked and squirmed, her scalp burning. He threw her across the arena, her back slamming into the wall. She fell to her knees, coughing, blood splattering onto her fingers. Dark blood.

 _What the hell…? Why isn't the invincibility working?_ Her back throbbed, her ears rung. She saw feet appear in her view, and slowly looked up. He reached down and grabbed her by the neck, lifting her, her feet dangling off the ground. She weakly clawed at his wrist, coughing. She heard faint yells and cries, but she couldn't understand where it was coming from.

Then the crowd started to chant.

 _W-What are they saying…?_

 _"…Kill her! Kill her! Kill her!"_ Repeatedly. Jax showed no emotion, and his grip tightened around her neck. _I-I can't die like this…_ Her body was numb, but she looked into his eyes and whispered:

"Why…?"

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	35. Chapter 35

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Five - Alyx**

The arena quieted. Jax raised his eyebrow, his grip loosening a bit. He scanned her appearance, from her hair to her shoes, then looked into her eyes.

"What did you say?" He asked. His voice was deep, not like Hank's or Liam's or Phillip's, but like deep and rumbling. It was raspy though, not smooth or anything. He sounded like he had just woken up from a good nap.

"Oh, so you do speak." She commented.

"What did you say?" He repeated.

"I said why."

"Because I was made to do so." He dropped her, allowing her to cough and rub her neck. "The gods abandoned us. They are worthless. Fall in love with a mortal and then dump them as soon as the mortal gets pregnant. Life is futile." Alyx raised her eyebrow.

"Okay… I don't know what you're smoking, but okay…" She sighed. "Look, my dad is Percy Jackson-"

"I know who you are."

"Okay, rude."

"Daughter of Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase, two of the Seven. Granddaughter of Poseidon and Athena. Oldest of the Next Seven. Correct?"

"Yeah, I guess." She looked around, and carefully patted her pocket. Riptide was back in her pocket. "But that's not how things are anymore." He narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Those people in that cage over there are descendants of the gods. As soon as it was announced there was going to be a second generation of demigods, the gods pulled their crap together and formed a pact with Chiron. If they got a mortal pregnant, they would leave them with money for child support, visit them, and then once they were old enough to send them to Camp Half-Blood to be trained." She tilted her head. "And I'm guessing your mother hated your dad?" He glared.

"She loved him. That is until he dumped her when she told him she was pregnant and left. Akira was kind to take me in." She glanced up at the balcony, gagging.

"Seriously?" She pointed at Isaac and Fiona. "Those two are descendants of Ares children. One is Roman and the other is Greek. Isaac is son of Clarisse and one of the best fighters I have ever seen in my lifetime. Fiona is daughter of Frank Zhang, the son of Mars, the Roman Ares. Both are your relatives. They're not fighting with Akira, but against. And that's why you should too."

He stared at her, and his eyes seemed a bit… Hopeful?

"Oh, enough with the life stories!" Akira yelled. "Fight and kill her!" His eyes flickered and he raised his sword, bringing it down. She cast a shield spell, watching him bang against it repeatedly. When he seemed tired, she pulled out Riptide and slashed upward, slicing a nice sized cut on his chest.

Unfortunately, that didn't do anything. He growled and sliced so fast, it cut her side, tearing her shirt and opening a wound right under her bra. She gasped and stumbled back, holding her side.

 _Why isn't the curse working?_

"I forgot to mention this. Jax's blade is made of a metal that can cut through anything, even if it's the Curse of Achilles. Even after your parents destroyed Tartarus all those years ago, he's still producing metal to kill demigods." She looked at her hand, her glove stained with blood. Her shirt was darkening, blood dripping down her side, not to mention her side was burning like a fire.

"You don't have to fight for him anymore." She told him. "You can be free. You could have a family." He faltered in his step.

"Family…?"

"Yes, family, friends, happiness. Are you really happy fighting for Akira? It doesn't bring you any benefits, does it?"

"But I am free…"

"Are you? You're chained up, sent in to fight beings you don't know, and then thrown back like a piece of trash." She eyed him. "He's using you."

"Kill her!" His eyes flickered again, but he hesitated. Then he muttered something only she could hear.

"Make it seem like we're going to fight…" He looked at her. "But kill me." She froze, gripping Riptide's hilt.

"No." He smiled slightly, before lunging. She blocked, pushing him back, but he repeatedly lunged at her until she knocked his sword away. The audience was not happy, and began to yell curses at her.

"I don't have to kill you. You can come with us back to camp." He gave the faintest of a smile.

"Only one can come out alive." He looked at the dirt, faint blood on the ground from her wounds. "You need to kill me. My time has come anyway." He smiled again, and lunged.

Her defense was faster than her mind. Her sword went through his stomach, Riptide's point sticking out. Blood rapidly stained his cloths, dripping down and little spots falling on her shoes.

"T-Thank you…" He whispered and she fell something wet fall onto her neck before he slumped, his life leaving his body. Riptide shrunk back into pen form, and she fell to her knees, holding him tightly. Tears fell down her cheeks, and his blood stained her shirt, but she didn't care. She held him, caressing his hair gently, taking breaths to calm herself down. Slowly, she laid him down, pressing her hand to his chest, a purple magic circle appearing, before his body shone and disappeared. Then she stood, gripping Riptide tightly.

"Uh oh." She heard Jasper mutter.

"Yeah, uh oh is right." Fiona said. She turned, throwing a knife and nicking Akira's ear with lightning fast speed. He froze, gripping Carlos's waist tightly. He blinked and took a breath, pushing Carlos onto the pillow next to his seat and standing. He waved his arm.

"Release the beasts!" Every double door around opened, different looking creatures storming out. Elephant, monkey, gorilla, and more that looked goofy. Roaring and stomping toward her, she sighed. Riptide glowed in her hand, stretching out to the three foot blade.

* * *

She slaughtered one monster after another, blood splattering everywhere. She blocked out everything, noise, feel and emotion. Then she stood in the middle, decomposing bodies surrounding her.

"Take her back to her cell."

She was aware of handcuffs being put on her, then the sound of the door closing.

* * *

She slumped against the wall, her side burning, her entire body aching. Darkness enveloped her, but she could see perfectly, not that see wanted to. She pulled her knees to her chest, despite her body screaming in protest, and closed her eyes. She took shaky breaths, trying to push through the stupid pain.

Then she heard the cell door opening. She lifted her head to see Rei standing there, holding a first aid kit bag and a lunch box. He nodded at the guards and they left. He came in, stepping over the small pool of blood and crouched in front of her.

"How are you feeling, Highness?" He asked.

"Great, how are you?" She said weakly. He gave a soft smile.

"Let me see your wound." He said. He moved to her left side and let her lay her legs down. She moved her arms, watching him pull out scissors. He cut her shirt down the side and then gently parted it. He pulled out a kit and cleaned her wound, the area around it, and then grabbed some antiseptic.

"What kind of weapons is he creating…?" She asked quietly. He rolled it on with a cotton swab, his lips pursed.

"The weapons from last summer are the ones he is creating. But he is breeding humans into weapons, making them powerful to fight." He pressed a bandage pad to her side, then wrapped it in gauze.

"Why?"

"Because he has a goddess on his side."

"Which one?" He shook his head.

"I'm not sure." He cut off the rest of her shirt, then uncuffed her real quick and slid on a new one before handcuffing her again. Then he handed her the lunchbox.

"You need to eat and rest. Akira will continue to throw challenges at you." He laid his hand on hers. "I will be checking in on your health until his crowning. Please, stay alive." He stood, picking up the bag and started to walk out.

"Rei, wait!" He looked back.

"If I take the crown…" She looked down. "What will happen? Would I become immortal or something?" He stared at her before shaking his head.

"I do not know. Eat, and sleep." He gave a nod. "Sleep well, My Majesty…" He closed the cell door and left, the guards returning to their posts a few minutes later. She picked up the box and opened it.

* * *

The guards came for her the next morning. They took her through the same hallway, the announcer's voice coming through the speakers.

 _"Welcome back to the Gladiator Games!"_ She took a breath, closing her eyes. She heard the chains falling, and the creaking of the doors.

She stepped out into the ring, and begin to slaughter.

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._

* * *

 _I actually cried during Jax's death._


	36. Chapter 36

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Six - Alyx**

It was his crowning day.

Alyx sat heavily in her cell, sore and exhausted.

Akira had made her fight all day for the past two days, increasing the challenges and how many matches she had to win before she could rest. Thankfully, Rei was on top of everything. Making sure she was well hydrated, fed and rested before her matches. After all, if she did get overly exhausted or dehydrated, she could have possibly died more than once. Throughout all of the matches, her spot (even she didn't even know where it was) wasn't revealed.

Leaving her in her cell, she was _bored._ She tapped her foot, remembering some songs from the sing along, humming softly and thinking of how well Nico sung.

The guards had left their post, probably to guard the ceremony. Rei hadn't come yet. She hadn't received any updates on her friends or on Bianca. Since the stupid stone cancelled out her powers, she couldn't contact Liam or Carlos. Not that they could respond though.

The door opened.

She looked up to see Rei hurrying in, in a fine suit. He uncuffed her quickly.

"You must make haste." And left, leaving the door open. She stood, looking out before running to the throne room.

* * *

She managed to navigate herself down hallways and corridors, hearing the sound of music getting closer. She passed a weapon room and halted, peaking in and spotting Liam's bow, Carlos's ring and gauntlet, Harper's dagger and Isaac's sword. A single guard was in there, so she snuck up and knocked him out, grabbing the cube and running to the room. She stopped and peaked in.

Akira was bowing, a man in Greek robes and golden wreath lowering the crown onto his head. The bow transformed in her hand, the quiver appearing on her shoulder. She pulled out a normal arrow and aimed.

"I now pronounce-" She fired, the tip going straight through a loop, knocking it out of the man's hands and slamming into the wall, the crown hanging off. The audience gasped and looked at her, their eyes wide.

"You!" Akira yelled.

"Sorry, did I interrupt something?" She stepped in, glaring coldly. The people in the crowd were dressed in robes, either human or some sort of hybrid. They stood and slowly started to back out. A cage with her friends was by next to her. Carlos stood from his pillow, dressed in similar clothing from the first day, except had more jewelry and the cloths were now a bright blue that really complimented his eyes.

"Who let you out? That stone is impenetrable!" He narrowed his eyes, looking over at Rei, grabbing his shirt and pulling out his sword, pressing the tip to his neck.

"I knew it was you." He snarled. Rei's eyes widened and he gulped, trembling.

"I-I do not know-"

"Don't pay dumb! I knew there was some type of magic going on, but I just assumed it was Milady's! How long have you been working with her?" She spotted guards running at her with weapons, so she pulled out a foam and shot it, foam exploding and gluing them to the ground.

"Hey!" She yelled. He turned his head, growling.

"It's me you want, right? So leave him alone and fight me." Carlos shook his head rapidly.

"H-He'll kill you!" He managed out, before Akira glanced at him coldly and his knees buckled, falling down and crying out in pain.

"I didn't want to do that, but you gave me no other choice." He turned his attention back to Rei. "Now, what should I do with you?" He dug the point in, slight blood trickling out. She pulled out a second arrow and fired, hitting his hand and knocking his sword out of his hand. He cried out in pain and let go, backing down the stairs. By now, the audience had left. It was just him and her and the others. Even the man who was going to crown left, yet the crown still hung on the arrow.

"Alyx, that's my bow."

"Go to hell."

"We are in hell."

"You dare to interrupt me." He said quietly. "You kill all of my gladiators and take my crown from me. What's next, kill me again?" She lowered the bow, which turned back into a cube. She slipped it into her pocket and pulled out Riptide.

"You have a sword." She said, gesturing to it. "Use it. Let's fight. If I win, you go into hiding or whatever until you have a plan to defeat me. If you win, I'll let you kill me."

"Alyx!" Hank protested. "That's madman talk! Don't do it!"

She didn't listen.

She watched him pick up his sword, coming down the stairs. It was the same sword as last time. The same hideous, black sword.

"You know, that sword is really ugly. You should get a new one." He snarled, approaching before lunging. She lifted Riptide and blocked his blow, shoving him back. He grounded himself then launched again.

He kept doing this until he started to become sluggish in his movements, so she took action.

"Sure, you might be better than me in politics and all that," she said, getting ready to launch herself. "But I'm better in way more things." She lunged, slicing upward and slashing his ropes apart, the cloth around his shoulder ripping and falling to the ground, the ornament on it shattering. Blood rapidly stained his pristine white robes.

"You spawn…" He growled. He gripped his sword. "You do realize that stone diminishes the curse, yes?" She yawned.

"Yeah, found that out." She said tiredly. "Let's get this over with. I want to go home and take a shower." She sniffed herself and wrinkled her nose. "I don't have deodorant." She heard Rei snort and cover his mouth to prevent a laugh and heard the others laugh slightly.

"That's my niece for you." She heard Bianca sigh softly. Relief flowed through her; Bianca was okay. She took a breath and stared at Akira, lifting her sword, putting her arm behind her back the way Nyx taught her.

The horror on Akira's face gave her a rather pleasant feeling.

"You've mastered it?" He asked. She smiled.

"Yes."

"I-Impossible! How!?"

"Some help." She lunged and struck his side, before slicing upward and making a big X on his chest.

"What sort of style of swordplay is that?" She heard Harper ask.

"An Ancient style of royal swordplay. Usually used within either noble or royal families. It was banned before Achilles was born though." Fiona explained. "I'm just wondering how she learned it." She managed to strike little wounds as well, on his arms, legs and chest.

"You are leaving yourself wide open, Lord Akira." She mocked. "Aren't you being taught better?" He did _not_ like being taunted. His eyes flickered, just like Jax's. He stood still for a moment. Then he took a breath and struck, knocking her sword out of her hand with speed matched by her. But it came without warning and startled her, making her back up.

"What's wrong, Alyx? Weren't you taught better?" She clenched her fist and lunged, knocking him down, raising her fist to punch him, but she forgot he still had his sword in his hand. He brought it down, hitting somewhere on her naval, making her gasp. He kicked her off, making her fly into the wall, and she was pretty sure she felt one of her ribs crack. She fell, coughing hard, blood splattering onto the floor.

"What's the matter, dear?" He asked. She looked up, blood running down her lip. He stood in front of her, smirking like he'd just won.

"I love that the mighty hero that seems so courageous and brave is kneeling before me." She wiped her lip, sitting back on her bottom, laying her arm over her knee.

"Okay, okay. I surrender."

"Huh?"

"HUH?!" She shrugged.

"Seriously. Go ahead and prod everywhere. Try to find my spot and kill me." He turned red with rage, stomping his foot.

"What in the name of Tartarus are you talking about? Have you gone mad?" She shrugged.

"We're all a little mad, right?" He looked at the guards, then at her friends, extremely confused.

"Uh…"

"Ha, sike!" A ball of light formed in her hands and she through it at him, making him slam into the wall. His sword was knocked away, falling near Carlos. She approached slowly.

"You put up a good fight today." She said. "But now you go into hiding until you have a plan." He growled, black lightning sparking on his fingertips. He stood, launching a ball at her, making her quickly cast a shield spell. Lightning danced around it like hungry turkey vultures, before it diminished.

"Eh? That was supposed to break it!" He pouted. "How?"

"My shield spell is more powerful than yours." Horror spread across his face.

"N-No…" He covered his face, before lunging and knocking her down. She kneed him in the stomach, flipping them and punching him in the face hard. His nose twisted but he slammed his heel into her back, again hitting near her naval, but closer. She yelled and fell off, gripping it and panting.

"Oh? Is that your Achilles heel?" He smirked, pulling out her dagger from her holster, slamming his foot into her back and making her lay down. She panted and froze when he pressed the point to the spot.

"Heh, look at you now." He slid his fingers down her curve. "I have to say, you and your friend are very good looking." She growled.

"If you defiled his body in any sort of way, I will murder you."

"Oh, trust me. I would have taken his innocence but someone kept interrupting me." He scowled, pressing harder, making her claw the floor.

"You pervert…" She managed out as he poked her butt. He simply shrugged.

"Your father would be disappointed."

"Get away from Highness!" Rei tackled Akira, making him yelp, her dagger falling away. She managed to lift herself up, watching as they rolled and punched each other.

"Rei! Don't!" She yelled. Akira pinned him down, raising his fist to bring down. She pulled out a throwing knife and launched it. It slammed into Akira's fist, making him wail, falling off and pulling it out. Smoke poured out. She stepped in front of Rei, gripping her dagger tightly.

"Leave." He snarled, then vanished in a puff of black smoke. She fell to her knees, panting hard, exhausted. Rei gently helped her up, smiling softly. He walked her to Carlos, who hugged her tightly, burying his face into her neck.

"You're okay…" She whispered. Rei pulled out keys and unchained him, the bonds breaking away. Rei then walked over to the cage, unlocking it and unlocking their chains. They all dog piled her, laughing and crying. Harper stood by, smiling softly.

"Come on." Alyx said, smiling. "You're a part of our family now." Harper blushed and ran into Carlos's hug.

"Let's go home, shall we?"

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._

* * *

 _To clarify, he was hitting around her spot, not on it. Direct hits would have killed her._


	37. Chapter 37

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Seven - Isaac**

Liam carried Carlos on his back, despite his protesting. Whatever Akira did to him, it left his legs numb. Rei helped Alyx walk after finding out she sprained her ankle during the fight, her arm around his neck and his arm around her waist. She seemed in pain as they walked. Thankfully, no one else had been injured and Bianca had healed from the wound she had received. Isaac couldn't get the fight out of his head. She was not the same Alyx that was bubbly and asked annoying questions anymore. She had stripped off that personality and put on a new defined one with knowledge and power.

He watched Alyx limp along, hissing if she misstepped.

"You need to rest, Highness." Rei quietly said. "You can't overexert yourself…"

"I'm fine, Rei, I promise." She reassured.

"Stubborn." Bianca said, picking up her pace to walk next to her. "You were insane back there. I thought you were going to surrender." Alyx laughed, patting her arm.

"Did you guys seriously doubt me?"

"Well we don't know what you'll pull." Fiona said.

"Yeah." Phillip raised his eyebrow. "You're extremely mysterious." She sniffed, covering her heart.

"So mean, Phillip. Seventeen years and you're still mean."

"Hey!" Jasper laughed, putting her hands in Alyx's and Bianca's and swinging them, Alyx trying her best not to wince. Isaac smiled softly.

"You guys are like a big family." Harper said quietly. He nodded.

"Yeah."

"Hey, grumpy face is actually smiling!" Wally said.

"Excuse me?!" Harper laughed and his heart skipped a beat. Her laugh was sweet and gentle, like music. Her pretty blue eyes like a summer day at camp, beautiful chocolate colored hair tied in a messy braid, and dark luscious skin. The beauty mark under her eye looked like a diamond. Alyx gave him a smirk, to which he glared.

They arrived in a round room with multiple doors.

"This is as far as you all can go. Only Alyx is allowed to go through the doors." Rei said.

"Um, why?"

"Since she is the rightful heir, only she can pass through."

They all rose their eyebrows and tilted their heads.

"No way. We're going with." Fiona said.

"Hey, if this something only she can do, let her do it." Harper said, gently pushing Liam over to the wall. "We'll wait for you. Release the gods and let's go home."

"Thanks, Harper. Be back in a few."

* * *

They waited for an hour. Harper's and his bags appeared out of nowhere and landed on their laps during their waiting time, so they handed out water and food. He pulled off his jacket and put it over Carlos, who gratefully thanked him. He huddled close to Liam, not acknowledging Harper at all. Liam kept his arms around him protectively.

It was quiet until Liam spoke.

"She never gave me my bow back." Leon perked up at the mention of the bow.

"What kind of technology is that? And your masks?"

"My dad made the masks." Carlos said softly. "He's a really good inventor."

"My mom made my bow." Liam said. "She hunts a lot, so when I was old enough, she gave it to me. It had already been premade before I was born, but she gave it to me when I was old enough to handle the draw back."

"Oh, so a total mama's boy, eh?" Harper teased.

"Pfft, no."

"What about your dad?" He looked uncomfortable at the question.

"Uh… He died before I was born…" It got quiet, everyone quieting and looking guilty.

"Damn, hard life."

"Not really." He said, shrugging. "My mom was always there for me when I needed her and took time off from her hunting job to care for me if I got sick."

"Where do you live?"

"Banff." Fiona and Hank perked up.

"Fellow Canadian?"

"Uh, yeah…?"

"Cool!" They high-fived him, making him jump a bit, startled.

"Y-You guys are Canadian?"

"Yeah. Our dad is anyway."

"But you're Chinese." Carlos pinched him.

"Don't be rude."

"I-I wasn't!" Fiona shrugged.

"Don't worry. My dad is Chinese, lived in Canada, can speak French, son of a Roman god but with Greek ancestry." Both stared at her with wide eyes.

"We're pretty much related to Alyx." Hank groaned.

"Don't say that, please. I'm in love with her, I don't need our weird ancestry ruining it." Fiona snickered.

"Highness!" They turned their heads to see Alyx collapsing, Rei trying to hold her weight. Hank ran over, as well as Wally.

"What's wrong?"

"Her energy is depleted. She can't last much longer."

"We got here through a portal that she made. How are we going to get her back?" Harper asked. Rei gently handed her over to Hank, going over to a wall and pressing his hands to it, closing his eyes. The area underneath lit up to be a bright golden light, before a swirling portal opened up.

"Uh…" Isaac said. "That works too." Hank stood, carrying her bridal style. She looked awful. She was pale and sweaty, her lips parted for ragged breathing.

"Go." Rei said. Hank hopped through, followed by Fiona and Liam and Carlos. Then it was just him and Rei.

"Go ahead." Isaac said, gesturing to the portal, but Rei shook his head.

"I am not worthy to go through. I helped out the enemy."

"Oh for the love of- Look, if you don't go through, I'm going to get an earful from Alyx about how I left you behind. So go through."

"B-But-"

"Go. Through." Rei made a noise that sounded like a cat being startled, and hopped through. He followed, stepping out into grass.

"She's getting weaker." Hank said as soon as he stepped through.

"Then what are you waiting for?" He picked Alyx up, since Hank was baffled by his response and hiked up the hill. Ashe caught sight and gasped, running to Piper and tugging on her shirt.

"Mama! They're back!"

* * *

They were taken to the infirmary to be checked over for wounds and he and Rei were placed in the same room, yet Rei kept insisting that he was fine, despite his dried bloody nose, his bruised cheek and gash on his forehead.

"Dude, just take the treatment." Isaac said, making Rei make that same noise again and nod.

"Please strip." Lyra said. She was a daughter of Apollo, trained perfectly in medicine with Roman and Greek training.

"S-Strip?" Rei asked.

"Yes. I need to do a full examine of your body." Isaac snickered at his flushed face, pulling off his shirt and unbuckling his belt. Rei fidgeted before unbuttoning his shirt. He'd discarded his jacket at the ruined ceremony before he had tackled Akira. He pulled it off, his chest wrapped with white wrap.

"What's that?" He asked.

"U-Um…" He looked down. "My kind is called 'Alran'. We are half human, half cat."

"So…?" Rei unwrapped his bandages, a matching tail popping up. Lyra and Ren's eyes widened, and if that wasn't surprising enough, he ruffled his hair, ears popping up.

"How can you hear?" Ren asked. "You know, if they were pushed down like that."

"I can hear fine. It's only if they're plugged where I can't hear."

"Can you move them?" Lyra asked. He blushed, looking away as his ears flattened against his head. "Cute!"

* * *

After being washed down, checked for wounds and given fresh clothes, they went to the waiting room, where the others were. Carlos was missing, as well as Alyx.

Rei looked around. "W-Where is Highness?" He'd wrapped his tail to his back again and put down his ears so he didn't alert anyone. He looked deeply worried, and Isaac was pretty sure if his ears were out they'd be twitching.

"She's getting checked over." Wally replied. "Carlos can't move his legs so he's being treated for that. They're running tests to see what sort of toxin made him go numb. If my brother was here, I'm sure he could quickly figure it out."

"Where is Gray?" Robin asked.

"He's in New Rome, remember? Helping out the infirmary there." Ryan sniffed. Rei looked down.

"I'm sorry for all of the trouble I have caused you…" He softly said.

"This again? Shut up. It's not your fault, it's Akira's. The only reason you were under his command was to save your kind and yourself. Don't blame yourself." He let out another squeak and nodded.

* * *

They headed out to the Mess Hall and introduced Rei to everyone, before Lyra came and informed them of Alyx's and Carlos's conditions. They told the story of arriving, then introduced Harper, who bowed in greeting. Isaac introduced her to Percy and Annabeth and the Seven, and she looked overwhelmed at Percy.

"Everything okay?" Percy asked when he noticed her fidgeting. She squeaked and nodded.

"Y-Yes!" She stood up. "I'm going to see Carlos!" And left, Rei getting up and following.

"She's a bit weird." Annabeth commented, adjusting Ebony's blanket.

"Little bit." Percy replied.

"No, she's just had a rough couple of days." Bianca replied, sipping her tea. "She's a demigod, but she's never fought before."

"Do you know her?"

"She's my classmate at Uni."

"Really?"

"Yup. Was really surprised to see her there, but I had my concerns. She'd always act weird."

"You're weird." Percy said, poking her arm.

"Yeah." Isaac was glad that she was feeling better, thanks to Rei's healing ability. She was back to her perky self.

"So, my daughter competed in gladiator games?" Annabeth said, making Reyna snort, taking a sip from her drink. Isaac nodded.

"You'd be proud if you saw her. She held up against even the top gladiators." He leaned back, nibbling on a fry.

"Really?" Frank asked.

"It's to be expected. She is Poseidon and Athena's granddaughter. So ironic that she has that blood in her." Jason said, smirking at Percy. "To think that a water boy and wise girl would get together." Piper pinched his arm. Isaac smiled, looking at his lap.

"She was amazing."

"Hm? What was that?" Hazel asked.

"N-Nothing!" He squeaked. Lyra suddenly ran up, looking frightened to her core.

"Lyra, what's wrong?" Calypso asked.

"Um…" She fidgeted, looking down.

"Alyx is missing…"

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	38. Chapter 38

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Eight - Isaac**

"We really need to put a bell on that girl." Robin said, crossing her arms. Liam snickered.

"She's like a ninja." He said.

"She is a ninja." Bianca said. "When I was five and she was three, I was trying to um… Steal a cookie from the jar and she caught me." Bianca shivered. "Those eyes gave me nightmares."

Isaac didn't blame her. Alyx was different. Usually when he was sneaking around she would always catch him and stare at him with those grey eyes. He shivered at the thought of them.

"Where does she like to go when she wants to think?" Liam asked. They all stared at him before Hank took off toward the beach.

"The beach." They chorused and followed. They peaked over the hill, laying against it with Hank. Just like they thought, she sat by the water, Mrs. O'Leary's head in her lap, her tail wagging as Alyx petted her head. She still wore her infirmary clothes; white t-shirt and white shorts, her hair pinned back in a ponytail, showing the spears of her trident. They expected her to start moving the water or making sand castles.

But she just… Sat there. Not moving except for her hand. The waters were gentle and lapped at the sand, the sunset's colors reflecting off the water.

"She's just sitting there…" Harper whispered. "What's she doing?"

They simply shrugged. Harper rolled her eyes before standing, ready to run down the hill when soft singing started.

 _Come little children, I'll take thee away,  
Into a land of enchantment.  
Come little children, the time's come to play,  
Here in my garden of shadows._

The forest stirred, rustling and growling emitting from it, and glowing eyes blinked open. Liam grabbed her arm and pulled her down.

 _Follow sweet children, I'll show thee the way,_  
 _Through all the pain and the sorrows._  
 _Weep not poor children, for life is this way,_  
 _Murdering beauty and passions._

Isaac froze, and he heard the others suck in their breath. There was shimmering in front of her before Jax appeared, but instead of being alive, he was a golden ghost and dressed in Greek robes and a golden wreath. He had a soft smile on his face.

 _Hush now dear children, it must be this way,_  
 _To weary of life and deceptions._  
 _Rest now my children, for soon we'll away,_  
 _Into the calm and the quiet._

Three more shimmering figures appeared and his eyes widened. Zoë Nightshade, Bianca di Angelo and Luke Castellan stood there. Zoë and Bianca were in their Hunter uniforms, and Luke was in Greek robes and a golden wreath. All wore soft smiles.

 _Come little children, I'll take thee away,_  
 _Into a land of enchantment._  
 _Come little children, the time's come to play,_  
 _Here in my garden of shadows._

The figures shimmered, Luke laying his hand on Alyx's cheek before they faded into the air after the singing stopped. The monsters in the forest disappeared quietly and Mrs. O'Leary had fallen asleep. Isaac heard cries and turned to see the same ghosts appearing in front of their siblings or whatever. He saw Luke, Bianca and Zoë appear in front of Percy and Annabeth, Annabeth choking and sobbing. They gave them bows, Luke smiling at Annabeth kindly and giving Percy a nod. Nico cried and sobbed at the sight of Bianca, who set her hand on his shoulder and smiled warmly.

"Amazing…" Harper whispered. Luke in front of Annabeth disappeared before reappearing in front of Liam, who jumped and bumped into Harper. Luke looked like he wanted to laugh but he gave a nod and then every ghost faded into the air.

Isaac turned his attention back to Alyx, who swayed and collapsed. Hank and Scott hopped up and ran down, but Mrs. O'Leary reacted, standing and growling at them, standing over Alyx. Then again, she didn't look too bad. She was breathing softly, asleep and no more.

* * *

He yawned as he passed the unclaimed cabin, where Carlos and Liam had slept before they were kidnapped. He stopped when he heard soft talking. He raised his eyebrow and sneaked under the window to listen.

"But I don't want to go back to California." He heard Carlos say.

"Mom and Dad want you back to finish the semester then we're going to spend the summer here." Harper said.

"I want to stay."

"Carlos…"

"Harper…" He heard her sigh.

"We'll talk in the morning. Rest and then we'll talk."

"What are you doing?" He jumped and whipped around to see Alyx standing there, her eyebrow raised. She was still dressed in her infirmary clothes, but now wore flip flops. Jason and Piper's kids stood behind her, peeking out from behind her.

"Uh…"

"Don't nose into other people's business, Isaac. Didn't your father teach you better?" Isaac scoffed.

"Look who's talking." She simply rolled her eyes.

"Come on, guys. Your mom would kill me if I didn't have you in bed at curfew." The kids giggled and followed her happily.

He went into his cabin, Luna looking down at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Why do you look like you are about to cry?" She asked.

"Shut up." He replied, laying on his bed.

* * *

The next day seemed normal. Everyone did their normal activities, but he could tell everyone was wary of Alyx's newfound power. The kids didn't really seem shocked about it, but what he was suspicious of Liam. Why would Luke Castellan, who had been dead for almost twenty three years, acknowledge Liam? And why hadn't Charles Beckendorf or Silena Beauregard appeared?

Isaac found Alyx and Reyna sparring in the arena that afternoon. Alyx was winning, not even giving Reyna a chance to win. Her sword handling was fast and her footwork was perfect. Not once did she fall. He was pretty sure it was the games and fighting Akira that made her work on her physique. Not that she needed it. Alyx twirled, sweeping her leg through Reyna's and knocking her down, her eyes lit with the sun.

Alyx Jackson was no longer the perky, curious, baby faced girl that everybody knew. No, she was now a warrior, ready to succeed over anything that would come her way.

* * *

 _To Be Continued..._


	39. Chapter 39

_I do not own Percy Jackson nor Heroes of Olympus, they belong to Rick Riordan._

* * *

 **Chapter Thirty-Nine - Alyx**

Alyx hugged Carlos and Liam tightly, sniffing.

It was the day that they had to go back, even though neither of them wanted to. Harper, Carlos and Liam had stayed for a week before deciding to go back to their respective homes until the first day of camp. Carlos would finish the semester and Liam would stay with his mom until she gave the okay to go back and reveal his parentage. Now that the gods were back, they were supposed to hold a meeting about everything happening before returning to their posts.

She patted their cheeks.

"Do you have everything?"

"Yes." She hugged them again, making them grunt.

"Alyx, why?" Carlos said.

"Well we travelled across country with together, went through a ton of trials, and managed to win the battle." Carlos smiled.

"We'll be back before you know it." Liam smiled.

"Besides, in the summer we'll be able to Capture the Flag, sing alongs and all of the other activities." Alyx smiled.

"And we'll be able to get to know your friends better without them glaring at us." Carlos said, pointing up the hill. She looked up to see them all in a line or circle, glaring down at Carlos and Liam with crow eyes. Seriously, they looked like a flock of crows.

Alyx sweated and turned back. "Don't mind them."

"Carlos, come on! You'll be late for the plane!" Harper called from the car. She had already said her goodbyes, and now was waiting in the car, looking bored. Carlos glared at her before turning back to Alyx.

"Here." She said, handing them two cards. They took them and looked at her with raised eyebrows. "If something happens and you're in trouble, use the word on the card and I'll be there in no time. It has two uses, so don't use them up for weird stuff." They nodded and hugged her again.

"I'll finish my semester and come back in one piece! Promise."

"I'm going to try to convince my mom to let me come a bit sooner so that why she doesn't have to make the hassle to come with me. She's already busy."

"You two be safe. I don't want to find new scars or bruises on you." They both chuckled, nodding.

"We'll see you on May 25th." Alyx gave a nod and watched them leave, Carlos going to the car and Liam walking down the sidewalk to catch a cab. Normally Argus would've done it but he was with Mr. D at Mount Olympus to help out.

She watched sadly as the car and his form fade into the distance. She felt someone's hand slip into her own, looking up to see Hank smiling softly.

And they hiked up the hill, awaiting their next journey.

 **See you next time!**

 _Second book finished! I want to thank everyone who supported me throughout this book._

 _Stay tuned for the third book!_


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